September is Child Passenger Safety Month!

All over the greater St. Louis area, children are back to the familiar rhythm of school. As parents, you have spent considerable time and energy making sure your kids are properly prepared with comfortable clothes and the right school gear, but what about ensuring your child's safe ride to and from school each day?

September is National Child Passenger Safety Month—a good time to double-check that your child will be protected in case of an accident. According to the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for school-aged children. In addition, nearly 90,000 children require hospitalization as a result of car crashes each year.

Here are some important tips for ensuring your child's safety in the car:

•Get the right seat for your child's age, height, and weight. There are three basic types of safety seats for children: rear-facing seats, forward-facing seats, and booster seats. In general, rear-facing seats are recommended for the youngest children, forward-facing seats with a five-point harness are safer for children once they've outgrown rear-facing seats, and booster seats are recommended for older children.

The National Auto Dealers Association website and your seat manufacturer’s specifications can help you determine which seat is safest for your child.

•Ensure your child's seat is installed properly. Since the National Auto Dealers Association Boost for Safety campaign began in 2003, dealers have checked more than one million seats, and found nine out of 10 seats either improperly installed or in need of replacement.

Seats that are improperly installed may not provide adequate protection in the event of a crash. Check with dealers in the St. Louis area for the next car seat safety event, and have a professional inspect and properly install your child's seat.

•Stay informed of changes in safety recommendations. Although many organizations still maintain that children aged one year old and 20 pounds may move from a rear-facing to a forward-facing seat, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently found that children are safest in rear-facing seats until age 2 years old, or until they've reached the maximum weight and height limits for their seat.

The latest research on your child's safety while riding in motor vehicles is often changing. Stay up-to-date by visiting St. Louis area car dealers during child passenger safety events or by checking the newest recommendations on AAP's website.

Let's work together to keep children of all ages safe while they travel. Take a moment to call your local dealership or double-check your child's safety seat today. To find a dealer click here.