WESTWOOD, MA—An alarming number of children in Massachusetts are riding in improperly installed car seats that could fail to protect them in a crash. New data from the National Digital Car Seat Check Form shows that more than half of the car seats checked by certified child passenger safety technicians are improperly installed. The data also shows that two of every three car seats are misused with many parents transitioning a child out of an appropriate seat too soon.
In recognizing National Child Passenger Safety Week from Sept. 18 to 24, AAA Northeast is recommending parents and caregivers give their car seats a check-up, and encouraging more people to seek help from a certified child passenger safety technician. While the problem of improperly installed and misused car seats is widespread, the fix is often a simple adjustment to eliminate the most common mistakes. And resources abound, both online and at seat check locations across the Commonwealth, to help every driver protect their most precious cargo. Visit www.mass.gov/carseats to find a car seat check location near you.
“Most parents think their kids are in the right seats and that the seats are installed the correct way,” says Mary Maguire, AAA Northeast Director of Public and Government Affairs “but the reality is that nearly half of car seats are installed incorrectly, leaving kids vulnerable to injury in a crash. National Child Passenger Safety Week offers parents an opportunity to make sure their children are safe in their car seats and booster seats.”
Car crashes continue to be a leading cause of death for children. Two children under 13 were killed every day in 2020 while riding in vehicles, and another 278 were injured. In Massachusetts, 96 children have died in crashes since 2015, according to the Massachusetts IMPACT crash database. Using age- and size-appropriate car seats and installing them correctly is the best way to reduce crash fatalities among children. More than a third of children 12 and younger who died in crashes in 2020 in cars, pickups, vans, and SUVs were unbuckled due to the deadly misconception that a certain type of vehicle may offer greater protection for your child. In 2020, 53 percent of the children killed while riding in light trucks were unrestrained, followed closely by SUVs (46 percent), passenger cars (34 percent), and vans (34 percent). Children are safest when correctly secured in the right car seats or booster seats for their ages and sizes — no matter the vehicle type. A bigger vehicle doesn’t mean your child can ride unbuckled.
Don’t Buy a Fake
A relatively recent trend CPS professionals have observed in recent years is the appearance of fake, counterfeit or non-compliant car seats at car seat check events. These seats are usually bought online and advertised as being a legitimate seat at a deep discount. Never buy a used, open-box or refurbished seat, and make sure any new seat is affixed with correct labels to ensure it meets all U.S. federal safety standards. Seats should include registration cards to sign up for recall notices and safety alerts from the manufacturer. And beware fake or scam websites that pretend to offer manufacturer-direct seats at a deep discount.
It can be hard to spot a fake, even on legitimate major online shopping sites. Counterfeit seats will occasionally appear alongside real seats in search results. Be wary of unfamiliar sellers and avoid international marketplaces since a seat sold outside the United States might not been crash-tested and compliant with federal safety standards.
Common Mistakes
By far, the most common mistake across all ages and seat types is a seatbelt or harness that is too loose. You should not be able to budge or wiggle an empty car seat or a rear-facing car seat base more than one inch after installation.
Other common mistakes include:
- Failing to use the tether when installing a forward-facing car seat with either the lower anchors or lap-and-shoulder belts
- Leaving harness straps too lose against the child once secured in the seat
- Improper use of lower anchors
Another common mistake parents and caregivers make with car seats is moving their children to the next seat or position too soon. Even though the American Academy of Pediatrics and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend parents keep children rear-facing as long as possible, bad advice prevails.
“Massachusetts parents should be aware that the Commonwealth’s laws for transporting child passengers need to be updated to comply with recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, especially concerning securing children rear facing in a convertible car seat as long as possible,” Maguire said.
AAA Northeast is advocating for the passage of legislation to better align Massachusetts car seat laws with best practices. HB2446 and SB1592 would update the law to require infants and toddlers under 2 or weighing under 30 pounds be restrained in a rear-facing car seat. Children in their second year of life are less likely to be hurt in a crash because rear-facing seats distribute the forces of a crash across the head, neck and spinal column, as opposed to concentrating force solely on the neck, as in a forward-facing crash.
The head of a young child is larger and heavier than an adult in proportion to the rest of their body. This means they’re vulnerable to severe head injuries, including internal decapitation. The risks are amplified when the car seat is improperly installed or misused.
Evidence-based recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics include:
- Children should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat as long as possible, up to the limits of their car safety seat. This will include virtually all children under 2 years of age and most children up to age 4.
- Once they have been turned around, children should remain in a forward-facing car safety seat, up to that seat’s weight and length limits. Most seats can accommodate children up to 60 pounds or more.
- When they exceed these limits, child passengers should ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they can use a seat belt that fits correctly.
- Once they exceed the booster limits and are large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use a lap and shoulder belt.
- All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.
Don’t Get Too Comfortable
The NDSCF database shows that parents and caregivers are the most vigilant about car seat safety when a child is younger, but as children age into their pre-teens and teenage years, car seat and seatbelt safety often takes a back seat. At this age level, CPS techs routinely find problems with booster seat usage and lap-and-shoulder belt fitment, particularly instances in which the booster is ditched too soon and a child’s neck comes in contact with the shoulder belt. If the shoulder belts can’t be adjusted for proper fit, a booster is essential for protection in a crash.
Children in their tween and teen years are especially vulnerable on the roadway. From 2016 to 2020, there were 1,721 children between 8 to 14 years old killed in passenger vehicles. In 2020 alone, the 8- to 12-year-old age group had the highest number of fatalities (216) among children in passenger vehicles.
Resources
Parents and caregivers have a wealth of resources at their disposal to help them ensure their children are in the right seat and the seat is installed correctly. Below is a list of helpful resources for parents, caregivers and pre-hospital providers:
- AAA Northeast Safety Check Portal
- Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Toolkit for Pre-Hospital Providers
- Selecting a Car Seat – NHTSA Car Seat Recommendations for Children
- Selecting a Car Seat – Safe Kids Ultimate Car Seat Guide
- Car Seat Recalls – NHTSA Car Seat Recall Listing
- Proper Car Seat Use and Maintenance
Find a CPS Inspection Site
Certified CPS technicians are ready to help make sure your seat is installed correctly, and in most cases, accommodations are available for caregivers and parents with financial needs.
Visit www.mass.gov/carseats to find a location near you!