September is Child Passenger Safety month! Dealers across the country will host child safety seat inspections in their communities as part of NADA's national Boost for Safety campaign to help protect young passengers.
Since the Boost for Safety campaign began in 2003, dealers have checked more than one million seats, and found nine out of 10 seats either improperly installed or in need of replacement.
More than 40,000 children under age four are injured or killed in car crashes annually, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to NHTSA, over 50,000 children between four- and eight years-old are injured or killed in car crashes annually. Dealers are working to make a difference. If you are a parent seeking guidance on how to properly secure your child in the car, take a look at the information below — a dealer in your area may be able to help this September.
Child Passenger Safety 101: The Basics
- From birth to at least one year old and at least 20 pounds, children should be secured in the back seat in a rear-facing infant seat.
- Children between the ages of one to about age four and 20-40 pounds should be secured in the back seat in a forward-facing toddler seat.
- Kids between the ages of four and eight or 40-80 pounds – unless 4’9” – should be properly restrained in the back seat in belt-positioning booster seats.
- There are two types of booster seats – a high-back booster and a low-back booster.
A high-back booster seat uses the vehicle’s lap/shoulder belt and provides head and neck support for the child if the car does not have a built-in head restraint. A low-back booster seat is for use in vehicles that have a built-in head restraint. This type of booster seat is also used with the lap/shoulder belt to properly secure the child.
- The child seat manufacturer certifies that all child safety seats sold meet federal safety performance standards.
For a complete list of the safety seat models, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Web site, www.nhtsa.gov.
Download: Child Passenger Safety – A Parent's Primer, a two-page brochure from NADA and NHTSA (PDF brochure requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)
Download: A Parent's Guide to Buying and Using Booster Seats (PDF brochure requires free Adobe Acrobat Reader)
For more information contact Kara Thorp, NADA Public Affairs, (703) 760-7562, kthorp@nada.org.
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2007 Kickoff Event: NADA Chairman Dale Willey hosted a kickoff event for Child Passenger Safety Month at his dealership on Sept. 15, 2007. It was the largest child safety seat inspection ever held in that area. Hundreds of parents attended and received lifesaving information provided by Safe Kids Douglas County. Windows Media: 100K | 300K |
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Child Seat Safety Video: This NADA-TV report features dealer interviews, customer testimonials, and comments from government officials. Windows Media: 100K | 300K |
Where to Check Your Child's Safety Seat
It's a Fact: Statistics On Child Passenger Safety (CPS)
NADA's Commitment to Child Passenger Safety
Frequently Asked Questions