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Child Passenger Safety Week 2025 will be held from September 21-27 this year. It’s a significant week for those who care for children and have them in a vehicle at any time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes for every day in 2023, on average, two children under 14 were killed and 345 were injured in traffic crashes while riding in passenger vehicles. During 2023, 43% of children killed in car crashes were unrestrained.
“It’s important to make sure your child is in the right seat for their age and size – and that the seat is installed correctly,” NHTSA said.
A new AAA analysis released in late August covering five years of government crash data “shows a slight drop in child fatalities, but a troubling trend persists: child safety and booster seat use declines after a child turns three, despite the continued need for these safety devices,” AAA said.
“This is alarming, given that nearly 100,000 children were injured in car crashes in 2023 alone, according to AAA’s analysis. With the start of Baby Safety Month, and As National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 21-27) approaches, AAA and the National Safety Council (NSC) highlight the importance of correct car seat use and offer essential tips to keep young passengers safe on the road. Saving lives is what we’re all about at AAA, and that starts with making sure every kid is buckled up the right way, every time,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research.
“Fewer children are being injured and killed in car crashes, and that’s a movement in the right direction. However, we still have a lot of work to do — especially when it comes to keeping older children safe,” said Amy Artuso, Director of Mobility Safety Programs and Roadway Safety at the National Safety Council. “Children grow up fast, but seat belt readiness takes time, and booster seats can help keep kids safe until seat belts fit them correctly.”
“From 2019 to 2023, more than 3.9 million children aged 11 and under were involved in car crashes, resulting in more than 516,000 injuries and more than 2800 fatalities, according to AAA’s analysis. Shockingly, 67% of car seats checked in 2024 were improperly installed or used, according to the National Digital Car Seat Check Form (NDCF) database,” AAA said.
When used correctly, car seats, booster seats, and seat belts protect young passengers. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, child restraints reduce fatalities by 71% for infants younger than one and by 54% for children 1 to 4 years old in passenger cars.
According to data from the NDCF database, there are three common misuses:
- Car seat installation is too loose.
- Not using the tether when installing a forward-facing car seat with either the lower anchor attachment system or seat belt.
- The harness is too loose when securing a child in a car seat.
AAA’s analysis of government crash data found that safety seat and booster use by children dropped by nearly 10% between ages 3 and 4 and continued to decline as children aged. But many older children are not yet ready for a seat belt alone. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates most children will not fit in a seat belt alone until 10 to 12 years of age.
Help From NHTSA
Find the Right Car Seat. It’s important to choose the right seat and use it correctly every time your child is in the car.
Install Your Car Seat Correctly.
Keep Your Child Safe.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Prepare for Child Passenger Safety Week 2025
Click for more.
Child Passenger Safety Week 2025 will be held from September 21-27 this year. It’s a significant week for those who care for children and have them in a vehicle at any time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes for every day in 2023, on average, two children under 14 were killed and 345 were injured in traffic crashes while riding in passenger vehicles. During 2023, 43% of children killed in car crashes were unrestrained.
“It’s important to make sure your child is in the right seat for their age and size – and that the seat is installed correctly,” NHTSA said.
A new AAA analysis released in late August covering five years of government crash data “shows a slight drop in child fatalities, but a troubling trend persists: child safety and booster seat use declines after a child turns three, despite the continued need for these safety devices,” AAA said.
“This is alarming, given that nearly 100,000 children were injured in car crashes in 2023 alone, according to AAA’s analysis. With the start of Baby Safety Month, and As National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 21-27) approaches, AAA and the National Safety Council (NSC) highlight the importance of correct car seat use and offer essential tips to keep young passengers safe on the road. Saving lives is what we’re all about at AAA, and that starts with making sure every kid is buckled up the right way, every time,” said Jake Nelson, AAA’s Director of Traffic Safety Advocacy and Research.
“Fewer children are being injured and killed in car crashes, and that’s a movement in the right direction. However, we still have a lot of work to do — especially when it comes to keeping older children safe,” said Amy Artuso, Director of Mobility Safety Programs and Roadway Safety at the National Safety Council. “Children grow up fast, but seat belt readiness takes time, and booster seats can help keep kids safe until seat belts fit them correctly.”
“From 2019 to 2023, more than 3.9 million children aged 11 and under were involved in car crashes, resulting in more than 516,000 injuries and more than 2800 fatalities, according to AAA’s analysis. Shockingly, 67% of car seats checked in 2024 were improperly installed or used, according to the National Digital Car Seat Check Form (NDCF) database,” AAA said.
When used correctly, car seats, booster seats, and seat belts protect young passengers. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, child restraints reduce fatalities by 71% for infants younger than one and by 54% for children 1 to 4 years old in passenger cars.
According to data from the NDCF database, there are three common misuses:
AAA’s analysis of government crash data found that safety seat and booster use by children dropped by nearly 10% between ages 3 and 4 and continued to decline as children aged. But many older children are not yet ready for a seat belt alone. The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates most children will not fit in a seat belt alone until 10 to 12 years of age.
Help From NHTSA
Find the Right Car Seat. It’s important to choose the right seat and use it correctly every time your child is in the car.
Install Your Car Seat Correctly.
Keep Your Child Safe.
AutoInformed on
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.