Child Passenger Safety - Preventing Injuries

Did You Know....


Child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants, and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years.



The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends booster seats for children until they are at least 8 years of age or 4'9" tall.


All children ages 12 years and younger should ride in the back seat. You should avoid placing children in front of airbags. Putting children in the back seat eliminates the injury risk of deployed front passenger-side airbags and places children in the safest part of the vehicle in the event of a crash.

Overall, for children less than 16 years, riding in the back seat is associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of serious injury.

To learn more about effective interventions to increase child safety seat use, visit CDC's Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety page.