This week marks Child Passenger Safety Week
MADISON, Wis. – Car accidents remain a leading cause of death and injury among children, with more than 1,000 children 14 years old and younger dying in motor vehicle crashes in 2023, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
A properly fitted car seat can help prevent these fatalities because, of those who died in 2023, 64 % were unrestrained, according to Dr. Megan Yanny, pediatrician, UW Health Kids.
This week marks Child Passenger Safety Week, serving as a timely reminder on how to keep kids safe in vehicles. It is crucial to properly buckle children into the correct car seat, booster seat, or location in the car for their age and size to reduce the risk of serious injury or death, she said.
“By far the biggest mistake parents make is to move their child to the next phase too early,” said Yanny, who is also an associate professor of pediatrics, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. “We advise staying in a phase as long as possible to help protect kids’ growing bodies.”
If kids are not properly restrained, injuries from car accidents can include spinal cord injuries, broken bones, concussions, traumatic brain injuries or death, according to Yanny.
“Parents might move their kids up to the next stage of car seat for many reasons because their child might look cramped, they are getting car sick rear-facing, or their estimation of height and weight is off,” she said. “But, the most common reason I hear is that kids ask and want to be like their peers or siblings.”
Recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics aim for the highest level of safety based on the latest research, according to Yanny.
The academy recommends that children younger than 2 years old be secured in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat. Children ages 2 to 4 can switch to a forward-facing car seat with a harness in the back seat until they reach age 4 and 40 pounds. However, a child can remain rear-facing until they reach the height and weight limits of the car seat, which often go up to 50 or 60 pounds, regardless of age. It is safest to stay rear-facing as long as possible. From age 4 and weighing 40 pounds, until a child is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall, the child should ride in the backseat using a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt. Children should use a booster seat until they are at least that height to ensure the shoulder belt fits properly and safely. This usually occurs between ages 8 and 12.
Children should sit in the back seat until they turn 13 because it is the safest place for them, given the strength of the passenger seat airbags.
If a car seat has been in a crash, do not reuse or donate it.
“These recommendations can be a bit complicated because children grow at different rates, so the importance of age, height, and weight will vary depending on the individual child,” Yanny said. “We encourage families to check with a pediatrician as they make car seat transitions.”
Car seat laws vary from state to state and are often written to meet minimum safety requirements for better compliance and easier enforcement. For example, in Wisconsin, the age at which a child can stop using a booster seat is 8, and there is a suggested height requirement, but not a definitive one like the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends, Yanny said.
The Safety Center at American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison offers low-cost safety equipment such as car and booster seats, and its partner SafeKids South Central Wisconsin provides regular car seat fittings, checks and safety education at local police and fire stations. To learn more, text or call (608) 333-6087, or email, safekids@uwhealth.org.
