Hey, You Know That Seatbelt Thingy in Your Car? Start Using It!
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car crashes are the leading cause of death—and a major cause of injury—for children under 3. And car seats are by far the easiest way to reduce those risks. In fact, proper use of car seats reduces infants’ risk of dying in a car by 71%, and by 54% for kids ages 1-4. Emphasis on the word “proper.” A study just published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine took a look at just how many parents are following the car-seat safety guidelines laid out by the American Academy of Pediatrics. You can get the complete list here. But just to summarize, infants and toddlers under age two should be in rear-facing seats in the back seat of the car—unless they exceed the seat’s height and weight restrictions. After age two, kids should transition to front-facing seats, but still be in the