Car Seat and Tween Safety

Having a child under the age of 13, I take this information to heart. Keeping my child safe is my number one priority.

Every 33 seconds a child under 13 is involved in a car crash in the United States. For younger children, car seats can dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury – but over half of car seats are either installed or used incorrectly. For older children, buckling up is critical. A full 50% of children age 8-14 who were killed in car crashes from 2011-2015 were not restrained.

That’s why we want parents and caregivers to know about the importance of making sure their child is safely restrained—whether that’s selecting the right car seat for their child’s age and size, or making sure that older kids (8-14) always buckle their seat belts and sit in the backseat.

As parents, we all want to do the right thing to keep our children safe and sound.  This spring, the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are unveiling new PSAs to address these important issues.  First, is the up to date car seat safety information like the tips found in the fun new video series “The Wide World of Car Seats.”

Everyone needs acknowledgment for their parenting wins, just like we cheer our kids when they score that winning goal. so why not get cheered for finding the right car seat for your child?  

The right car seat can make all the difference in a motor vehicle crash. And car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old.  But despite their best intentions, many parents may not realize their child isn’t in the right seat.  For example, many parents move their children to the next restraint type (car seat, booster seat, seat belt) too soon. To make sure you have the right seat for your child, visit SaferCar.gov/TheRightSeat.

And just when you think you’ve got this parenting thing down, your child becomes a “tween” and you enter a whole new world.  To help with travel safety, the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are unveiling new PSAs featuring characters from Fox’s upcoming summer road trip adventure Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. The PSAs remind parents and caregivers that even if kids argue and plead, parents should stand firm and always insist that their kids buckle up and sit in the back seat (the safest place for kids under the age of 13).

My son absolutely loves Diary of a Whimpy Kid series, and I can help remind him of how important it is to buckle up and ride in the backseat. Just like the characters!

How do you talk to your children about seat belts? My son is stubborn and always wants to sit in the front. He's 11 and thinks he's big enough. I've had to explain how important it is for kids under 15, by law in Virginia, have to be in the back. I also explain to him that sitting in the front, can ultimately be deadly. Thankfully he understands and complies with my wishes. It's become a habit now so I don't worry so much. Making sure his safety belt clicks assures me he will be safe.

As a healthcare provider, I am mandated to stop at accident scenes. So I have seen the impact of what not wearing a seatbelt can do. I try very hard to reiterate this to my son all the time. I don't want him to become a statistic. It's easy for me to preach to him how important this is and he definitely takes it to heart. So whenever we get into the car, it's automatic and I don't have to fight him to jump in the back and buckle that belt!

Per data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 69,000 tweens are injured every year in car crashes and 61% of 14-year-old children killed in 2015 car crashes were unrestrained at the time of the crash.  Even though life as a parent is full of compromises, seat belt safety should never be up for negotiation. That’s why the new PSAs encourage us to: “Never give up until they buckle up!”

For more information or if you need more tips to convince your tween to buckle up, visit SaferCar.gov/KidsBuckleUp.  If you have a great tip, join the conversation on social media using: #KidsBuckleUp.