Vehicle Safety

Whether it's for an occasional field trip or daily pick-up trips, you're likely to have children in and out of your vehicles. Here's what to do to make it a safe ride.

The rear seat is the safest place for children of any age to ride! Always buckle children up in the vehicle: use car seats, boosters, and/or lap belts, according to the child's Height and weight.  Babies should ride in a rear-facing infant car seat until they are at least one year old, and the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends infants remain rear facing until they are two.. Be sure  all car seats  are  used according to manufacturer recommendations and  have not been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Children over two years can use a forward-facing car seat, securely strapped into the back seat. Make sure that you are using an approved car seat for the correct weight and height of the child. Older children who are under 4’9” should travel in the back seat of the vehicle with a securely strapped booster seat.

Air bags can be hazardous to children sitting in the front seat. Read your car's owner's manual carefully on air bag safety. When used with lap or shoulder belts, airbags work well to protect older children and adults who ride in the front seat, facing the front of the car. Make sure that everyone in the front seat is properly buckled up and seated as far back from the air bags as is reasonably possible.

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle. The inside can become dangerously hot very quickly. Unattended children are also targets for abduction. Moreover, children may accidentally release the brake and the vehicle may begin to roll.

For additional information, contact the NHTSA at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT.

Choices has Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians in each office who can help inspect and install car seats.