Motor vehicle injuries are the number one cause of death in children in the United States.¹ Many deaths caused by motor vehicle injuries are preventable. Making certain children are placed in age- and size-appropriate car and booster seats reduces serious and fatal injuries by more than half.²

Dr. Arlene Greenspan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that crashes are among the leading causes of kids' deaths and injuries. In the U.S., crashes kill approximately 550 children up to 9 years old, and send almost 220,000 to emergency rooms with injuries.  Dr. Greenspan says safety seats can reduce these numbers, if booster and car seats are used properly:

"Parents often move their child into the next stage of car seat too early. Parents make mistakes in the way they install car seats. And parents may strap their children into the car seat too loosely or incorrectly.''³

The statistics and the warnings are fairly well publicized. ChildSafetyBlog.org continues to observe that faulty booster and car seats are being recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the manufacturers. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) also alerts people through recall and defect notices.

Here is the most recent recall notice ChildSafetyBlog has received from NHTSA for faulty booster seats:

"Britax is recalling certain Britax Chaperon infant car seats model E9L69N9 Moonstone, E9L69P2 Red Mill, E9L69P3 Savannah, and E9L69P5 Cowmooflage, manufactured from April 2009 through May 2010. The chest clip was incorrectly produced which could result in a more brittle chest clip than was intended. As a result, the chest clip which positions the harness straps across the infant's shoulders may break when the chest clip is engaged as the infant is secured into the infant car seat. The sharp edges of the broken chest clip could create a risk of a skin laceration and the fractured components of the chest clip may present a small parts/choking hazard. Britax will mail to consumers notice and remedy kits that contain a replacement chest clip and instruction sheet. The safety campaign is expected to begin on or about November 11, 2010. Owners may contact Britax Customer Service Department at 1-888-427-4829."⁴

So with all these facts accessible to parents and caregivers, why in the U.S., as during 2008, should 968 children ages 14 years and younger die as occupants in motor vehicle crashes? During that same period, approximately 168,000 children 14 and under were injured. Why, in one year, did more than 618,000 children ages 0-12 ride in vehicles without the use of a child safety seat or booster seat or a seat belt at least some of the time?  As parents and caregivers, we need to get a better handle on getting booster and car seat inspections, NOW!

A certified car inspection station can show parents, family members and caregivers how to properly install and adjust booster and car seats and how to place children in them safely.  Call your local community police, motor vehicle or fire department to learn where you can obtain a free certified car or booster seat inspection.  A certified car inspection station can show you how to do it right for the safety of your children.

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1. CDC. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System [online]. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). [2010 August 2].

2. Department of Transportation (US), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Traffic Safety Facts 2008: Children. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 2009. [cited 2010 August 2].

3. HHS. www.hhs.gov,  Health Beat, "Kids Seated Safely", Dreyfuss, Ira, November 3, 2010.

4. Department of Transportation (US), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation, Recall Notice, 2010 October 30.