Pittsburgh, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), Allegheny County Police Department, PA Traffic Injury Prevention Project (PA TIPP), and the Bellevue Fire Department held a media event to demonstrate proper methods to buckle small children and infants in a vehicle during National Child Passenger Safety Week which runs through September 27.
Child Passenger Safety Week highlights the need for children to buckle up using the right car seat, booster seat, or seat belt every time they travel. Vehicle occupants of all ages are more likely to survive a crash when correctly secured in the right restraint.
Using children of various ages, the safety partners demonstrated the proper way to buckle a child, toddler, and infant in a vehicle, while ensuring they are in a properly fitted car seat and booster seat respectively.
“As a mother, making sure my child is safe in our vehicle is a top priority and, in my job, I’m given the knowledge to understand the important impact a seat belt can have,” said PennDOT Safety Press Officer Yasmeen Manyisha. “The decisions other drivers make on the road is out of my control, but I can make sure everyone in my car is buckled up and my baby is in the proper car seat for her age, weight, and height.”
According to PA TIPP, from 2020-2024, 82% of the children under age 4 who were involved in crashes and restrained in a child seat sustained no injury. The Pennsylvania seat belt use rate was nearly 88% in 2024. National statistics show that for every one percent increase in seat belt usage, eight to twelve lives can be saved.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), using the correct and properly installed car seat reduces the chance of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. Adults should set an example by making sure they wear a seat belt each time they are in a vehicle and by stressing the importance of everyone buckling up for every trip.
Surprisingly, almost half of the car seats used are either the wrong car seat for the child’s age and size or installed incorrectly. Many parents and caregivers are overconfident about their ability to select and install the correct car seat for their child. Parents and caregivers believe they are protecting their child, but misuse is putting their child at risk.
“There are so many locations, often the local police or fire department, which have certified car seat technicians that can help you install your car or booster seat,” said Manyisha. “When it comes to your child’s safety, do not guess if the seat is properly installed. It costs nothing to visit an expert who can double check and verify the installation is safe for your little one.”
Pennsylvania law requires any occupant younger than 18 years old to buckle up when riding in a vehicle, as well as drivers and front-seat passengers. Children under the age of two must be secured in a rear-facing car seat, and children under the age of four must be restrained in an approved child safety seat. Additionally, children must ride in a booster seat until they are eight years old.
Parents and guardians are reminded that Child Passenger Safety Technicians are available year-round to help ensure that seats are suitable and properly installed. To find a car seat check event in your area, visit the PA TIPP website.
For more information on Child Passenger Safety, visit www.PennDOT.pa.gov/safety.
PennDOT’s media center offers social-media-sized graphics highlighting topics such as seat belts, impaired driving, and distracted driving for organizations, community groups, or others who share safety information with their stakeholders.
For regional updates, follow PennDOT on X and join the Greater Pittsburgh Area PennDOT Facebook group.
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