Child Safety Seats Motor vehicle crashes are a leading source of injury and death to individuals of all ages.
Children are especially vulnerable in a crash because of the size and shape of their bodies.
When traveling in a vehicle, young children should ride in child safety seats, which are designed to protect them by spreading the forces of a crash over their entire body. Research shows that child safety seats, when used correctly can reduce fatalities among children less than five years old by 71 percent. That makes child safety seats one of the most effective safety innovations ever developed. Facing rearward protects the infant's fragile head and neck if a crash does occur. The seat should also be semi-reclined so the baby 's head does not flop forward.