Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old.  Many times deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts.  Listed below are many resources for child passenger safety.  We hope that they will provide you all the information you need to keep your little ones safe.

Follow these guidelines for child passenger safety from the CDC website:

• Birth through Age 2 – Rear-facing child safety seat. For the best possible protection, infants and children should be buckled in a rear-facing car seat, in the back seat, until age 2 or when they reach the upper weight or height limits of their particular seat. Check the seat’s owner’s manual and/or labels on the seat for weight and height limits.
• Age 2 up to at least age 5 – Forward-facing car seat. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats they should be buckled in a forward-facing car seat, in the back seat, until at least age 5 or when they reach the upper weight or height limit of their particular seat. Check the seat’s owner’s manual and/or labels on the seat for weight and height limits.
• Age 5 up until seat belts fit properly – Booster seat. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seat (by reaching the upper height or weight limit of their seat), they should be buckled in a belt positioning booster seat until seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck). Remember to keep children properly buckled in the back seat for the best possible protection.
• Once seat belts fit properly without a booster seat – Children no longer need to use a booster seat once seat belts fit them properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck). The recommended height for proper seat belt fit is 57 inches tall. For the best possible protection keep children properly buckled in the back seat.
• Buckle all children ages 12 and under in the back seat. Airbags can kill young children riding in the front seat.

For information about choosing the right car seat, installation guidelines, and child seat inspection station locations visit our Car Seat Safety Resources page for help.  

If you think there is a resource missing from this list, email us at email@completelykidsrichmond.com

Thank you for keeping the kids of RVA safe!