References
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children ride in safety seats until they are 8 years old AND 4'9".
Dennis R. Durbin, Benjamin D. Hoffman, Phyllis F. Agran, Sarah A. Denny, Michael Hirsh, Brian Johnston, Lois K. Lee, Kathy Monroe, Judy Schaechter, Milton Tenenbein, Mark R. Zonfrillo, Kyran Quinlan. (2018, November). Child Passenger Safety. Pediatrics 142 (5).
46% of all children ages 0-12 are not buckled up correctly.
Media, N. H. T. S. A. (2020, September 21). NHTSA highlights importance of car seats and child passenger safety. NHTSA.
60% of crashes involving children happen within 10 mins of home.
Ortega, Bob. (2015). Majority of parents don’t install car seats correctly. Retrieved from https://centerforhealthjournalism.org
A survey of over 1,000 parents and caregivers found that 21% think it is acceptable to drive with children unrestrained if they are not going far.
Ferguson RW, Green A, Walker L. (2013, September). Buckle Up: Every Ride, Every Time. Washington, DC: Safe Kids Worldwide.
Using a booster seat instead of just a seat belt reduces the risk of serious injury by 45% for children ages 4-8.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, September 20). Child passenger safety: Get the facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
In 2020, in Texas, 59 children under 8 years old died in a motor vehicle crash, and another 269 were injured. Of the 59 children who died, 52.5% of them were not restrained in a car seat, booster, or seat belt.
TxDOT, Texas Motor Vehicle Crash Statistics – 2020, Restraint Use by Age and Injury Severity.
12.5% of urban drivers surveyed in Texas had a car seat aged child passenger not in a car seat.
Womack, K. 2020 Survey of Child Restraint Use in 14 Texas Cities, TTI Report, 9/20