Remember-young passengers should wear a seat belt and an age and size-appropriate car safety/booster seat at all times. Although state laws and child car seat manufacturer guidelines vary somewhat from state to state, here are some general rules of thumb to help you make wise decisions:

1. Your child should ride in a car safety seat with a harness for as long as possible, before graduating to a belt-positioning booster seat. They are ready for a booster seat when they have reached the top weight or height allowed for their seat, their shoulders are above the top harness slots, or their ears have reached the top of the seat.
2. Children should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belt fits properly. This means the shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat; the lap belt is low and snug across the thighs, not the stomach; and the child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with their legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down.
3. All children under 13 years of age should ride in the rear seat of vehicles. If you must drive more children than can fit in the rear seat (when carpooling, for example), move the front-seat passenger’s seat as far back as possible and have the child ride in a booster seat if the seat belts do not fit properly without it.
4. If your children walk to school, it is important that they keep an eye out for cars at all times. Always be careful to make sure your child’s walk to a school is a safe route with well-trained adult crossing guards at every intersection.
5. Be realistic about your child’s pedestrian skills. Because small children are impulsive and less cautious around traffic, carefully consider whether or not your child is ready to walk to school without adult supervision.
6. Bright colored clothing will make your child more visible to drivers.
7. If your child uses a school bus that has seat belts, make sure your child uses one at all times when in the bus. If your child’s school bus does not have seat belts, encourage the school to buy or lease buses with lap/ shoulder belts. Have children wait for the bus to stop before approaching it from the curb. They should check to see that no other traffic is coming before crossing the street. Make sure to remind them to always remain in clear view of the bus driver.

According to Kids in Cars, a large number of children are left alone in vehicles each year. They offer the following tips to ensure child safety and help prevent accidents in or around vehicles:

• Keep vehicles locked at all times, even in the garage or driveway.
• Never leave keys within the reach of children.
• Teach children to never play in or around vehicles.
• Consider installing cross-view mirrors and/or a backup detection device on your vehicle. Always check and double-check before backing up.

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