How to Protect Your Children with
Child Safety Seats

Step 1
Rear-Facing Infant Seats
- Birth to at least one year old AND
- at least 20 pounds.

Step 2
Forward-Facing Child Safety Seats
- Age one to about age four AND
- 20 to 40 pounds.

Step 3
Booster Seats
- About age four to at least age eight AND
- under 4-feet 9-inches tall.

Step 4
Seat Belts
- At least eight years old OR
- over 4-feet 9-inches tall.

We are reminding parents and caregivers in our community that all children should be placed in child safety seats, booster seats or seat belts - every time they ride in a car or truck.

• Great progress has been made in increasing the use of child safety seats and booster seats, which has decreased deaths among children in car and truck crashes.  But much more remains to be done.

• When placing a child safety seat or booster seat in your car or truck, be sure to read the instructions so you install and use the seat correctly.  Also, look at your vehicle's owner's manual to see what it says about installing and using child safety seats and booster seats.

• When your child outgrows his or her forward-facing safety seat, use a booster seat until your child is at least 8 years old or over 4-feet 9 inches tall.  Seat belts alone are made for adults.  A booster seat raises a child up so the seat belt fits.   This will prevent your child from being thrown from the car, or thrown around inside it, during a crash.

• Children who have outgrown booster seats should use seat belts.

• More than half (56%) of all children under 15 years old killed in car crashes in 2000 were completely unrestrained.

• Unrestrained children are three times more likely to be injured than those who are restrained.

• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages four to 14.

• Child safety seats reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers (1-4 years old) in passenger cars.  For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the seats reduce fatal injury by 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively.