The Thanksgiving holiday weekend remains the most traveled time of the year. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), in 2002, more than 30 million Americans relied on their automobile to travel to their Thanksgiving destination.
In just a few short weeks, the highways will once again be crowded with families traveling to their "Turkey Day" celebration.
With motor vehicle crashes remaining the leading cause of death to children under the age of 14, this could be a dangerous time for America’s young passengers.
Riding unrestrained is the single greatest risk factor for death and injury among child motor vehicle occupants, yet approximately 1 in 4 children ages 4 and under ride completely unrestrained.
Furthermore, according to a study conducted by the Partners for Child Passenger Safety, the children at greatest risk are those between ages 3 and 8 who should be using car seats or belt-positioning booster seats that are being inappropriately graduated to an adult seat belt.
"The single most important thing that parents can do to keep their children safe while traveling by car this holiday season is to properly restrain them," said Carol Helminski, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Certified Installation Technician and Child Safety Coordinator for Graco Children’s Products Inc.
"Taking a few extra moments to ensure your child is securely fastened in an appropriate car or booster seat can could save their life."
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that 90 percent of parents believe their child is properly buckled in their child safety seat. However, it is estimated that 4 out of 5 children traveling in child safety seats are improperly restrained.
This means that parents are using seats inappropriate for their child’s weight and size; not securing the seat tightly enough in the vehicle; or not securing their child correctly in the seat. With this in mind, Helminski, in conjunction with Graco Children’s Products, has developed the following checklist for parents and caregivers:
•Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for both the vehicle and the car seat and check that the car seat is securely installed
•Be sure the car seat is appropriate for your child’s weight and height.
•Make sure all passengers under 12 are in the back seat, as it is the safest place for a child to ride.
•NEVER use a rear-facing infant car seat in a seating location where there is frontal airbag.
•Infants weighing less than 20 pounds and less than 1 year should always ride rear facing.
•Always anchor the car seat to the vehicle seat using the adult seat belt or the LATCH installation system exactly as directed by the car seat’s manufacturer.
•Do not use a car seat that is more than six years old. Some manufacturers may caution that their car seats be used for a period of time that is even shorter than this. So be sure to reference the manufacturer’s instructions.
•Do not use a car seat that has been involved in a motor vehicle crash. If your seat has been involved in a crash but does not appear damage, it should still be replaced.
•Do not use a car seat that is missing the manufacturer’s label showing the name of the manufacturer, model number and date of manufacture.
•Booster seats are recommended for children over 30 pounds, but consider height and maturity level of your child before making the switch from a car seat.
