Child Passenger Safety

Keeping children safe on the road means putting them in the right restraint at the right age. www.Daycareproviders.com  will be doing all we can to make sure parents and child care providers know and follow every one of the "4 Steps for Kids".

The "4 Steps for Kids" are:

1. REAR-FACING INFANT SEATS in the back seat from birth to at least one year old and at least 20 pounds. 

2. FORWARD-FACING TODDLER SEATS in the back seat from age one to about age four and 20 to 40 pounds. 

3. BOOSTER SEATS in the back seat from about age four and 40 pounds to at least age eight, unless 4'9". 

4. SAFETY BELTS at age eight or older or taller than 4'9". All children 12 and under should ride in the back seat.

Child Passenger Safety is a national effort designed to draw attention to ways to keep young passengers safe in motor vehicles. 

We also wish to emphasize the importance of the often-missed "booster seat step". Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children from 4 to 14 years of age. While most infants and toddlers ride in the right child safety seat, less than 10 percent of the children who should be in booster seats actually use one. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that children who have outgrown child safety seats be properly restrained in booster seats in the back seat until they are at least eight years old, unless they are 4'9" tall. A booster seat lifts a child up so a safety belt can fit correctly. Without a booster seat, in a crash, a small child can be ejected from a vehicle. We will be reaching out to child care providers to educate them about child passenger safety issues, including the use of booster seats, and to encourage them to take the message to parents. Throughout the year, child care providers will be attending classes on "Moving Kids Safely in Child Care", a curriculum developed by NHTSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics. According to U.S. Census data, approximately 7 million children age five and younger are in some form of child care. Engaging child care providers provides an unprecedented opportunity to ensure the safe transportation of millions of children. For more information about child passenger safety, go to www.nhtsa.dot.gov .