Seat belt use is important for people of all ages, but it is especially important for children. Crashes are devastating to unbuckled children. Yet adults who do not buckle up are sending a deadly message to their children - that it's all right not to use seat belts. May 24-31 is Buckle Up America Week . Please make sure that everyone in your vehicle buckles up on each and every trip, not just in May, but throughout the entire year.
Most crashes occur on short trips at low speeds.
Instruct your children to always buckle up in other people's vehicles. Require driving-age teenagers to buckle up themselves and to require their friends to buckle up as a condition of riding in your vehicle. Properly secure every child in a vehicle in a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt appropriate for the child's age, height, and weight. The best child safety seat is the one that fits the child, fits the vehicle, and can be installed and used correctly every time. Rear-facing infant seats designed for babies from birth until at least 20 pounds and one year of age.