Sensory Friends
Let's stay connected:
  • Home
    • About Sensory Friends
    • Contact me!
    • Join My Email List
    • Media Page
    • Book Christine Goulbourne
  • Blog
    • Disability Blogs
  • Directory
  • Books & Resources
    • National Resources
    • Florida State Resources
    • Support Groups
    • Top Autism Sites
    • God can You Hear My Non-Speaking Voice?
    • The Rabbit in the Window
    • Podcast Guest Appearances
  • Great Giveaways!

10 Fingers, 10 Toes: Car Seat Safety Equals a Parent Who Knows!

4/18/2017

2 Comments

 
Picture

On board with safety planning.​

As a first time grandmother to be, I have been helping my daughter and son-n-law with planning for the arrival of our newest family member. Safety preparation has been a hot topic for our family as my daughter's delivery date nears!

​Every 33 seconds a child under 13 is involved in a car crash in the United States. For younger children, car seats can dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury – but over half of car seats are either installed or used incorrectly. For older children, buckling up is critical. A full 50% of children age 8-14 who were killed in car crashes from 2011-2015 were not restrained.
That’s why we want parents and caregivers to know about the importance of making sure their child is safely restrained—whether that’s selecting the right car seat for their child’s age and size, or making sure that older kids (8-14) always buckle their seat belts and sit in the backseat.
As parents, we all want to do the right thing to keep our children safe and sound.  This spring, the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are unveiling new PSAs to address these important issues.  First, is the up to date car seat safety information like the tips found in the fun new video series “The Wide World of Car Seats.”

Car Seat Safety 1st: How Do I Choose?

Remember how you applauded the first time your child wrote their name independently and correctly? I feel parents who do their due diligence and research in finding the right car seat for their child deserve the same praise. 
The right car seat can make all the difference in a motor vehicle crash. And car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old.  But despite their best intentions, many parents may not realize their child isn’t in the right seat.  For example, many parents move their children to the next restraint type (car seat, booster seat, seat belt) too soon. To make sure you have the right seat for your child, visit SaferCar.gov/TheRightSeat.

Tween Seat Safety matters!

And just when you think you’ve got this parenting thing down, your child becomes a “tween” and you enter a whole new world.  To help with travel safety, the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are unveiling new PSAs featuring characters from Fox’s upcoming summer road trip adventure Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul. The PSAs remind parents and caregivers that even if kids argue and plead, parents should stand firm and always insist that their kids buckle up and sit in the back seat (the safest place for kids under the age of 13).
My step-son loves his collection of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series and I knew he'd love watching the PSA's together. I can remind him and his brother to buckle up just like some of their favorite characters!
I've been teaching my boys about seat-belt safety since they first transitioned from their child car seats to booster seats. Both my 15 year-old and 11 year-old are programmed to buckle up from the moment they're seated in the car. I'm lucky that they automatically do it and I rarely have to remind them - but I still check to make sure their buckled in before putting the car in drive! It's a rule for all family members and friends to buckle up and there are no exceptions! However, I admit that I can't recall any child challenging me on the buckle up rule!

My oldest (he is 15 and 5' 9") rides in the front with me, but my 11 year-old rides in the back seat. He often mentions that friends his age who are shorter than he is ride in the front seat, but in my car it's my rules and they're not up for negotiation when it comes to safety. 

Per data from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), an estimated 69,000 tweens are injured every year in car crashes and 61% of 14-year-old children killed in 2015 car crashes were unrestrained at the time of the crash.  Even though life as a parent is full of compromises, seat belt safety should never be up for negotiation. That’s why the new PSAs encourage us to: “Never give up until they buckle up!”

For more information or if you need more tips to convince your tween to buckle up, visitSaferCar.gov/KidsBuckleUp.  If you have a great tip, join the conversation on social media using: #KidsBuckleUp.

This is a Bloggin' Mamas campaign, but my thoughts and opinions are shared as I am passionate about car safety and keeping our kids safe.

Sincerely, Christine SensoryFriends

2 Comments
Samantha link
4/20/2017 04:39:01 pm

Thanks for this great info! It's so important yet often overlooked!

Reply
Anvita link
4/21/2017 06:25:31 pm

car safety is so iportant and you are sharing some really good advice. I have come across a situation where a child lost his life because of another drivers mistake.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author: Christine Goulbourne
    [email protected] 

    Archives

    April 2025
    February 2025
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    June 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All
    Autism
    Inclusion
    Parent Involvement
    Positive Behavior Support
    Special Education

    RSS Feed

    Please note that Sensory Friends is a participant in the Google Adsense and Etsy Programs. These are affiliate/advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees (at no additional cost to you) by advertising and linking to their sites. 

An Important Note From Sensory Friends:

All information posted on the website is for informational purposes only.   Please confirm and review information carefully with your professional health care provider before considering a new regime or practice.  The information provided is not intended to replace medical advice offered by physicians.  Sensory Friends only wishes to provide information, resources, options and networking opportunities to its members and site visitors. 
Please note that Sensory Friends is a participant in several affiliate programs (Google Adsense, Awin Affiliates, and Etsy) these affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products or services. We may receive a commission if you purchase any of the linked products at no additional cost to you.  

© 2025 Sensory Friends

Subscribe

Join our mailing list today!
Join Now