Child Passenger Safety

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The Facts

• Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death and disability for children ages 1-19 in the United States.

• Younger children, males, minorities, and children living in poverty tend to suffer disproportionately.

• Children aged 4 and under are at a greater risk for injury related death.

Source: Safe Kids Worldwide, 2016

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Road Safety: National Statistics

• In the United States during 2014, 602 children ages 12 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 121,350 were injured.

• Of the children ages 12 years and younger who died in a crash in 2014, 34% were not buckled up.

• A 2010 CDC study found that, in one year, more than 618,000 children aged 0-12 rode in a motor vehicle without the use of a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt at least some of the time.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html

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Road Safety: South Carolina Statistics

• In 2013, SC DHEC DIVP conducted child passenger safety audits across the state at 23 elementary schools:

• 49% of child passengers were not properly restrained

• 33.55 of child passengers left school completely unrestrained

Source: https://www.scdhec.gov/library/CR-009900.pdf

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Did You Know?

• Child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71 percent for infants, and by 54 percent for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years.

• Does your child always ride safely secured?

Source: Safe Kids Worldwide

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Child Passenger Safety Recommendations

• Children from birth to 1 year old, or who weigh less than 20 pounds, must be secured in a rear-facing child safety seat.

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Child Passenger Safety Recommendations

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• Children 1-5 years old weighing 20-40 pounds must be restrained in a forward facing child seat.

Child Passenger Safety Recommendations

• Children 1-5 years old weighing 40-80 pounds must be restrained in a belt positioning booster seat.

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Child Passenger Safety Recommendations

• Children under 6 may not sit in the front passenger seat. However, this restriction does not apply to vehicles with no rear passenger seat, or if all rear seats are filled by children under 6 years old.

• Children should not move to the front seat until 13 years old.

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Common Mistakes

• Getting a car seat without knowing it’s history.

• Placing the seat in the wrong spot.

• Loose harness, loose base.

• Using the seat as a crib-substitute.

• Reclining at the incorrect angle.

• Transitioning too quickly.

• Dressing child in bulky outerwear.

• Toys… they can become projectiles.

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Heatstroke

• What is heatstroke?• Also known as hyperthermia, is a condition that occurs

when the body isn’t able to cool itself quickly enough and the body temperature rises to dangerously high levels.

• Symptoms are: dizziness, seizures, nausea, disorientation, confusion, irritability, loss of consciousness, rapid heart beat or hallucinations.

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Why is Heatstroke a Problem?

• Children are at greater risk for this because they do not thermo-regulate as well as adults.• Internal organs shut down at 104 degrees.

• Death can occur at 107 degrees.

• Within 10 minutes, the inside temperature of a vehicle can be up to 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperature; after 30 minutes the temperature inside can be 34 degrees hotter than outside.

Source: Safe Kids Worldwide, 2014

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Heatstroke

• Only 20 states have laws specifically addressing leaving a child unattended in vehicle.

• Another 14 states have had previously proposed unattended child laws.

• 2015: 24 child vehicular heatstroke deaths

• REMEMBER TO ACT!• AVOID

• CREATE REMINDERS (put your purse in the back seat)

• TAKE ACTION

Source: noheatstroke.org

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Child Passenger Safety

• Keeping your child in a vehicle is important, whether they are of driving age or not.

• Ensure they are properly secured for every ride, every time.• Unsure about what seat is appropriate for your child?

• Safe Kids Upstate can help!

• Go online to www.safekidsupstate.org and use our Child Passenger Safety page to make a car seat inspection appointment.

• Don’t leave children unattended in a car, EVER.

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