Protect the ones you love

Road Traffic Injuries

The Reality 

We all want to keep our children safe and secure and help them live to their full potential. 

Knowing how to prevent leading causes of child injury, like road traffic injuries, is a step toward 

this goal. 

Every hour, 150 children between ages 0 and 19 are treated in emergency departments for 

injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes. More children ages 5 to 19 die from crash-related 

injuries than from any other type of injury. 

Thankfully, parents can play a key role in protecting the children they love from road 

traffic injuries. 

Prevention Tips 

One of the best protective measures you can take is using seat belts, child safety seats, and 

booster seats that are appropriate for your child’s age and weight. 

Know the Stages 

• Typically, babies should be placed in rear facing car seats until they are at least 1 year old 

and weigh 20 pounds. 

• When babies move into front-facing car seats, they should remain in these seats until they 

are at least 4 years old or weigh 40 pounds. 

• Children should be seated in booster seats from about age 4 to age 8, or until they reach 

4’9” tall. 

• All children ages 12 and under should be seated in the back seat of vehicles. 

A Tip for Parents of Teens 

If you’re a parent of a teen who is learning to drive, sign an agreement with them to limit risky

driving situations, such as having multiple teen passengers and driving at night. 

Helmets can Help 

Children should wear motorcycle or bike helmets any time they are on a motorcycle or bicycle.

Please visit www.cdc.gov/safechild for podcasts, tip sheets, and other information on the 

leading causes of child injury and steps you can take to protect the children you love. 

Child injuries are preventable
 
The Burden of Child Injury, 

Unintentional Injury Deaths 

Ages 1–19, United States, 2000–2005 

Unintentional Injury 

67,169
 

(44%)
 

Non-Injury 

57,373 

(38%) 

Intentional Injury 

27,222 

(18%) 

www.cdc.gov/safechild


•	 Across	the	United	States,	

injuries are the leading cause of 

death among children ages 19 

and younger. 

•	 About	33	children	die	every	

day because of injuries.

•	 Each	year,	nearly	9.2	million	

children aged 0 to 19 years are

seen in emergency departments 

for injuries, and 12,175 

children die as a result of being 

injured. 

In addition to doing all you can to protect a child from suffering a road

traffic injury, follow these steps to prevent other leading causes of 

injuries:

Burns —Fire and scalding water can pose threats to children. To 

help keep kids safer from burns caused by fire, install and maintain smoke alarms in 

your home. 

Drownings —Drownings can happen quickly and quietly, but installing four-sided 

fences, with self-closing and self-latching gates, around backyard swimming pools can 

make a life-saving difference by keeping kids away from the water when you’re not 

there to supervise. 

Falls —Falls can happen at the playground or at home. To protect your child, check 

playground equipment to make sure it’s properly designed and maintained and that 

there’s a safe, soft landing surface below. 

Poisonings —Everyday household products can be poisonous to children, but you 

can safeguard your home. Keep medicines and toxic products, such as cleaning 

solutions, in locked or childproof cabinets. 

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