Each year, many children are injured or killed in vehicle crashes because they are
either unrestrained or not properly restrained. In fact, vehicle collisions are the
number one cause of death of children ages 12 and under.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada
recommend that all children ages 12 and under be properly restrained in a rear seat.
Some states or provinces/territories have laws restricting where children may ride.
To reduce the number of child deaths and injuries, every state, Canadian province,
and territory requires that infants and children be properly restrained when they
ride in a vehicle.

Protecting Child Passengers – Important Considerations

• An inflating front or side airbag can injure or kill a child sitting in the front seat.
• A child in the front seat is more likely to interfere with the driver’s ability to

safely control the vehicle.

• Statistics show that children of all sizes and ages are safer when they are

properly restrained in a rear seat.

• Any child who is too small to wear a seat belt correctly must be restrained in an

approved child seat that is properly secured to the vehicle using either the lap

belt portion of the lap/shoulder belt or the lower anchors of the LATCH system.

• Never hold a child on your lap because it is impossible to protect them in the

event of a collision.

• Never put a seat belt over yourself and a child. During a crash, the belt would

likely press deep into the child and cause serious or fatal injuries.

• Never let two children use the same seat belt. Both children could be very

seriously injured in a crash.

• Do not allow children to operate the doors, windows, or seat adjustments.
• Do not leave children in the vehicle unattended, especially in hot weather

when the inside of the vehicle can get hot enough to kill them. They could also

activate vehicle controls, causing it to move unexpectedly.

Children who are unrestrained or improperly restrained can be seriously
injured or killed in a crash.
Any child too small for a seat belt should be properly restrained in a child
seat. A larger child should be properly restrained with a seat belt, using a
booster seat if necessary.

WARNING

Protecting Infants

An infant must be properly restrained in a rear-facing, reclining child seat until
the infant reaches the seat maker’s weight or height limit for the seat, and the
infant is at least one year old. Many experts recommend use of a rear-facing seat
for a child up to two years old if the child’s height and weight are appropriate for
a rear-facing seat.

Child seats must be placed and secured in a rear
seating position. Rear-facing child seats should
never be installed in a forward-facing position.

When properly installed, a rear-facing child seat may prevent the driver or a front
passenger from moving their seat all the way back, or from locking their seat-
back in the desired position. If this occurs, we recommend that you install the
child seat directly behind the front passenger’s seat, move the seat as far forward
as needed, and leave it unoccupied. Or, you may wish to get a smaller rear-facing
child seat.

Allowing a child to play with a seat belt or wrap one around their neck can
result in serious injury or death.
Instruct children not to play with any seat belt and make sure any unused
seat belt a child can reach is buckled, fully retracted, and locked.

Placing a rear-facing child seat in the front seat can result in serious injury or
death during a crash.
Always place a rear-facing child seat in the rear seat, not the front.

WARNING

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