Child Passenger Safety
Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 1 – 17 in North Carolina (NC Division of Public Health).
For more Child Passenger Safety videos, visit the YouTube Playlist.
Is your child in the right seat?
There is no magic number – the correct seat is based on a number of factors, including age, weight, height, and maturity.
Try NHTSA’s Car Seat Finder tool.
Find guidelines for choosing the right seat from Buckle Up NC.
- Don’t buy a used car seat unless you know its history. Damaged seats, recalled seats, or seats that have been involved in a crash may not protect your child the same way.
- Always place your child’s car seat in the back row, away from active air bags. If there is no back seat, deactivate air bags.
Kids learn how to act on the road from you. As soon as you turn their car seats forward, they start learning how to drive – even at a very young age.
Anytime you are traveling – on foot, on a bike, or in a vehicle – show them how to be safe with your own behavior.
- Look for people on the road and yield to pedestrians
- Buckle up every trip
- Use crosswalks and look both ways before crossing the street
- Slow down, follow speed limits
- Don’t touch your phone while driving
- Change lanes to pass bicyclists
As you travel, talk with your child about what you see and do. The more you explain your thinking process, the more your child will understand about traffic safety.
Examples:
“Oh look, there’s a person trying to cross the road. I’ll stop and wave to let him cross.”
“There are a lot of people out today. I’m going to slow down and be safe.”
“I’m going to press this button and wait for the crosswalk signal. Now let’s look both ways to make sure it’s safe to cross.”
- Try the Buckle Up game – when you get into a vehicle with your child, “race” to see who can put on their seat belt faster. This game establishes a habit for your child to always buckle up when entering a vehicle.
- Talk with your children about how to speak up when they feel unsafe in a car with an adult. Have your child practice what they can say if they notice an adult is texting and driving, not wearing a seatbelt, etc. The more you practice, the more confident your child will be in a real-life situation.
