Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children from 1 to 13 years of age, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In 2011, more than one-third of children killed in car accidents were not in car seats or not wearing seatbelts, according to NHTSA.
Car seats reduce the risk of death in cars by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. In pickups and vans, they reduce the risk by 58% for infants and 59% for toddlers. Those stats are also according to NHTSA.
Think about those stats for a minute.
Now, consider how many children could be saved if their parents and guardians knew how to correctly use and install car seats.
How confident are you that your child’s safety seat is correctly installed?
This week, through Sept. 21, is NHTSA’s National Child Passenger Safety Week. For its part, Chrysler Group is joining the effort to raise awareness, sending educational emails to its employees and publishing child safety seat images and educational information on the Chrysler Group Facebook Page, and our other social media channels.
Audrey Eagle is the Child Passenger Safety Advocate at Chrysler, and is one of 12 Child Passenger Safety Technicians at our Auburn Hills, Mich., headquarters. Also a CPS instructor, Eagle said the company works locally with groups to sponsor and organize car seat checks for parents.
In May, she organized a half-day seminar for company engineers to give them a better understanding of how car seats are installed and issues surrounding their use in vehicles. Eagle said the feedback from the engineers was very positive, and she plans to make it an annual class at Chrysler.
This Saturday, Seat Check Saturday, Eagle plans to join fellow Chrysler and community volunteers in supporting a car seat checkup event in Roseville, Mich. just outside Detroit. That’s just one of several events throughout Michigan and the U.S.A. Parents can attend these free events to have their car seats checked and learn more about Child Passenger Safety.
There is likely to be a child seat checkup close to wherever you live in the United States. NHTSA has a Child Car Seat Inspection Station Locator to find the child car seat inspection station nearest you. Certified technicians at each location will inspect your child car seat, in most cases, free of charge, and show you how to correctly install and use it.
Click to learn more on NHTSA’s annual National Child Passenger Safety Week.
