New federal guidelines for child restraint systems

In 2013, according to CDC, 12 states had child passenger restraint laws that required child safety seat/booster seat use by children aged в‰¤5 years, 36 states and the District of Columbia had laws requiring child safety seat/booster seats use by children through either age 6 or 7 years, and two states had laws requiring child safety seat/booster seat use by children through at least age 8 years.

Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children aged 4вЂ“8 years when compared with seat belt use alone (Arbogast et al, 2009). Child safety seat use reduced the risk for death to infants (aged <1 year) by 71% and to toddlers (aged 1вЂ“4 years) by 54% in passenger vehicles (Durbin, 2011). Use of age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts for child passengers reduces their risk for death and serious injury in a crash. Child passenger restraint laws require children to travel in age- and size-appropriate child restraints, such as car seats or booster seats, until adult seat belts fit them properly.

Of the teens (aged 13вЂ“20 years) who died in crashes in 2012, approximately 55% were not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash (CDC, 2014). Of the children who died in motor vehicle crashes in 2011, 33% were not buckled up, according to CDC. However, motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States.

According to NHTSA's annual National Occupant Protection Use Survey, seat belt use has steadily increased since 1994, with the record high of 86% in 2012 representing a 2% increase over the previous year.

New federal guidelines for child restraint systems