Regarding safety in the car, the risks that some parents assume with their children never ceases to amaze pediatricians.  The number one cause of death in children age one to nineteen years is car crashes, and many of these deaths could be prevented with proper restraint of the children.  Proper restraint applies to all children—infants, toddlers, and older children.

 

The single most important action that parents can do to keep their children safe is to buy, properly install, and always use an approved car seat.  In fact, the law in all fifty states requires car seats.  However, studies demonstrate that many parents are not properly installing or using car seats.  Some points to remember when using car seats include:

 

• Always place car seats in the back seat of the car.  Never place a

              rear-facing seat in front of an air bag!

• Always use a car seat on every trip.  Remember, most accidents

              occur within five miles of home and at speeds of less than twenty-

              five miles per hour.

• Always use a car seat that is installed facing the rear of the car for

              infants.  The child may be moved to a forward-facing seat after he

              or she reaches one year of age and weighs twenty pounds.

Car safety should not be forgotten once the child is too large for a car seat.  Even school-age children are safest in the rear seat, especially if there is a passenger-side airbag in the car.  Airbags help to prevent injuries in adults, but airbags increase the risk of trauma to a child.

Avoid placing your child in additional danger with such careless acts as allowing him or her to ride in the bed of a pick-up truck.  Riding in the back of a truck offers no protection to the child and nearly guarantees that the child will be thrown from the vehicle if a collision occurs.  To prevent further risk of head injury or internal bleeding, a child should never, ever ride in the bed of a pick-up truck.

There is nothing more frightening to a pediatrician than a call from the emergency room regarding a child who has been in an automobile collision.  Please use common sense, and always place your child’s safety first.  Finally, remember to buckle your own seat belt—it sets a good example and it reduces your own risk of injury or death by sixty percent.