Artfoliophoto/ Getty Images; Illustrations by Austin Coule Certified/Bankrate
While car accidents remain the main cause of child injuries and death, a proper car seat or booster can make all the difference. The latest NHTSA data for 2022 (published in 2024) reveals that 39% of children who fell crashed were not succumbed. Child traffic fatalities have seen a slight decline, but preventable accidents injure thousands of children each year. Understanding car seat guidelines and ensuring proper installation can save lives, but many parents use it unconsciously by mistake. This is what you need to know to keep your child safe on the road.
Car seat safety statistics and facts
Car seat safety statistics and car seat death statistics are never easy to read. However, arming yourself with facts can help improve the outcome in the event of an accident.
Car seat recommendations based on child age and size
Choosing the right car seat isn’t just about following the law. It’s about keeping your kids as safe as possible on the road. The right seat depends on your age, weight and height, and using the wrong one (or accidentally attaching) can take a serious risk in a collision.
Thankfully, many police stations, fire stations and hospitals offer free car seat inspections to help parents get it right. It is important to know when to move from the rear to the positive and ultimately to the booster, as proper car seating uses dramatically reduce the risk of injury.
Car seat on the back
- Perfect for babies from newborns to 3 years old
- Designed to reduce stress on children’s vulnerable neck and spinal cord
A positive car seat
- Perfect for infants between 4 and 7 years old
- Designed with a buckled harness that restricts your child’s movement in the event of an accident
Booster seat
- Perfect for children between 4 and 12 years old
- Raise the child’s body so that the car seat belts sit properly on the child’s waist and chest
Seat belt
- Perfect for children and adults aged 12 and above. If the belt is large enough to fit properly
- It should fit perfectly on your thighs, shoulders and chest
State safety laws for cars and booster seats
If you are looking for a way to keep your family safe in your car, remember that implementing seat belt use is one of the best ways to do it. Each state has its own booster seat guidelines and car seat laws.
Replace the car seat after a collision
A little-known safety fact about car seats is that the car seat needs to be replaced after a collision. Automobile accidents involve serious forces, which are absorbed by the vehicle and its contents. The car seat is designed to absorb some of its power to keep your child safe.
Even if the seat shows no signs of damage and appears to be sufficient for use, the plastic on the car seat can be damaged or weakened by crashes. It is better to replace the seat in your child’s car safely after a collision and to reduce the risk of injury (or even worse) in the event of a future accident.
NHTSA guidelines require that the car seat be replaced if any of these apply to a collision.
- Vehicles cannot be driven away from the scene of the collision.
- The door closest to the seat was damaged.
- One of the passengers in the vehicle was injured.
- The airbags have been deployed.
- There is visible damage to the seat.
Does car insurance cover car seat replacements?
If you are involved in an accident, the NHTSA recommends replacing your car seat to keep your child safe. The good news for parents is that insurance companies usually help cover the costs of new car seats when collision coverage is included. When submitting an insurance claim, be sure to notify your insurance company that there is a car seat that needs to be replaced.
