“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:
1) Car seat installation is too loose.
2) Not using the tether when installing a forward-facing car seat with either the lower anchor attachment system or seat belt.
3) 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.