In motor vehicle crashes, car seats and seat belts save lives.
In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants (younger than 1 year old) and by 54% for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in passenger cars. Get free resources from NHTSA to help you answer questions and educate parents and caregivers:
- Seat belt safety for Tweens (ages 8-14): When is my child ready to use a seat belt? Keep your children in boosters seats until they outgrow the size limits of the booster seats or are big enough to fit correctly in seat belts.
- Watch the When Your Child is Ready for a Seat Belt video to learn more.
- Use the Checklist for Seat Belt Fit to determine if your child is ready to use a seat belt.
- If you’re pregnant: Seat belt recommendations for drivers and passengers.
- Myth vs. the real deal: Answer these questions to dispel myths surrounding seat belt safety.
- What’s your seat belt IQ? Put yourself to the test with this T or F quiz.
Did you know? When adults buckle up, their children are more likely to buckle up, too.
Share this safety video: Beyond Booster Seats. Learn how to motivate your tweens to buckle up.
Back Seat Safety
In 2022, nearly 60% of back seat passengers killed in crashes were unbuckled, according to NHTSA.
- Being buckled keeps you safe and secure inside a vehicle; being ejected in a crash can be deadly.
- Buckle your seat belt on every trip and in all forms of transportation, including taxis, limousines and rideshare vehicles.