Keeping Children Safe One Ride At A Time
By Helen Arbogast, DrPH, MPH, Director of Safe Kids California and the Injury Prevention Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Every parent, grandparent, and caregiver wants the same thing: for the children they love to be safe.
This Child Passenger Safety Week from September 20 to 26, I am proud to partner with the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) and Caltrans to encourage families to take simple steps to protect children on every trip. Keeping children safe in a vehicle starts before the engine is turned on. It begins with making sure a child is riding in the right car seat and that the seat is being used correctly.
The good news is that one simple action can make a big difference. Using the right car seat for a child’s age and size can help reduce the risk of serious injury.
As someone who has dedicated my career to injury prevention and child safety, I have seen how small choices can save lives. I have also seen how easy it is for busy families with the best of intentions to make an honest mistake when using a car seat.
Many people are surprised to learn that car seat misuse is common. A harness may be too loose. A seat may not be installed tightly enough. A child may transition from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat, or from a harnessed seat to a booster, before they are ready. More than half of car seat installations are incorrect.
Parents and caregivers should know that help is available. Sometimes a small adjustment can make a meaningful difference. To find a certified child passenger safety technician in your area visit: https://cert.safekids.org/
It is also important not to rush through the different stages of child restraints. Moving to the next stage too early can reduce protection during a crash and result in devastating injuries. Based on child passenger safety recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), OTS and Caltrans encourage families to:
· Keep children in rear-facing car seats until 2 years old.
· Use a forward-facing car seat with a harness until a child reaches the seat’s height or weight limit.
· Transition to a booster seat only when a child is ready. Starting January 1, 2027, children ages 8 to 16 years old must pass all steps of the 5-Step test before they can safely use a seat belt without a booster seat.
· Have children aged 13 and younger ride in the back seat whenever possible.
Child passenger safety is not just a parent’s responsibility. It is a community responsibility.
Grandparents taking children to school, aunts and uncles helping with pickups, relatives driving to family gatherings, trusted friends, childcare providers, and church members all play a role in keeping children safe. Anyone who transports children should take a moment to make sure children are properly restrained.
During Child Passenger Safety Week, I encourage California families to take a few minutes to check their child’s car seat to confirm it fits the age and size of the child. Every child deserves the opportunity to arrive safely, every time they travel. By making child passenger safety a priority, we can help prevent injuries, save lives, and protect our children.
To learn more about the work we do at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, visit our website.
