Driver and Passenger Safety
18
Children depend on adults to
protect them. However, despite
their best intentions, many parents
and other adults may not know
how to properly protect young
passengers.
So if you have children, or if you
ever need to drive with a
grandchild or other children in
your vehicle, be sure to read this
section.
Children who are unrestrained
or improperly restrained can be
seriously injured or killed in a
crash.
Any child too small for a seat
belt should be properly
restrained in a child seat. A
larger child should be properly
restrained with a seat belt.
All Children Must Be
Restrained
Each year, many children are
injured or killed in vehicle crashes
because they are either
unrestrained or not properly
restrained. In fact, vehicle
accidents are the number one
cause of death of children ages 12
and under.
To reduce the number of child
deaths and injuries, every state
requires that infants and children
be restrained whenever they ride
in a vehicle.
Any child who is too small to
wear a seat belt should be
properly restrained in a child
seat. (See page
22
.)
A larger child should always be
restrained with a seat belt. (See
page
34
.)
Additional Precautions to
Parents
•
Never hold an infant or child
on your lap. If you are not
wearing a seat belt in a crash,
you could be thrown forward
into the dashboard and crush
the child.
Protecting Children
