Child Passenger Safety Week is Feb. 11-17Motor vehicle injury is the No. 1 killer of children over 1 year old. Lenowisco Health District Safe Kids Coalition is observing National Child Passenger Safety Week, Feb. 11-17. With these figures in mind we are encouraging parents and caregivers to buckle up their children every ride, and we want to educate the adults and children about safety in and around motor vehicles. Someone is injured in a traffic crash every 9 seconds in the United States. - 30 percent of children riding in a car are completely unrestrained. Ejected occupants are four times as likely to be killed than those restrained in the vehicle.
Most crashes happen close to home.
Roads and streets are more dangerous than superhighways because traffic is usually going two ways and there are many intersections. Infants should ride rear-facing in the back seat because they are at particular risk of cervical spine injuries in frontal crashes when facing forward. Infants should not be forward facing until they are at least 1 year old and weigh 20 pounds. Seat belts are designed for adults. The lap portion of the seat belt rides up over the abdomen, putting children at risk for spinal cord injury, intestinal and spleen injury.