FOCUS: Child passenger safety

FOCUS: Child passenger safety

According to NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration), car crashes are the number one killer of children ages one to 12 in the United States.

  • 40% of children who should be in a child restraint are not in one
  • 80% of child restraints are installed incorrectly
  • Every 12 minutes, one person is killed in a motor vehicle crash. Properly used rear-facing car seats reduce the risk of death during a crash by 71%.
  • Properly used forward-facing car seats reduce the risk of death during a crash by 54%.

Arizona Law 28-907: Effective August 2, 2012, all children under 8 and 4'9" are required to be secured in a child restraint. The seat must meet appropriate height and weight specifications for the child.

  • Every child under 8 years old must in an appropriate child safety seat. Child safety seat includes infant seats, convertible seats, forward facing seats or other federally approved safety devices.
  • Every child from 8 to 16 years old who are not secured in a car seat must be secured in the vehicle's seat belt.
  • Protect your child as they ride! The back seat is the safest. Children under 13 years old should always ride in the back seat.

Infant Passenger Safety

  • Infants should ride rear-facing until they are at least 1 year old AND weigh 20 pounds.
  • When they outgrow their infant carrier they can ride rear-facing in a convertible seat.
  • Keeping children rear-facing until 30-35 pounds, as most convertible seats allow, is the safest for your child.

Toddlers and Pre-schoolers

  • Toddlers and pre-schoolers ride in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until child is at least 40 pounds or until they reach the seat's height and weight limit. See label on seat. This includes convertible seats and combination toddler booster seats with a harness.

Booster Seats

  • Children are ready for a booster seat when they weigh over 40 pounds and are 5 years or older.
  • Booster seats help position your child so the lap/shoulder seat belt fits them correctly. With a booster seat, the lap belt fits over their hips and touches the top of their legs and the shoulder belt is centered on the shoulder and chest and not across their face and neck.
  • A backless booster can be used if the seats of your car are high and your child's head does not go above the seat.
  • A high-back booster is needed if the seats of your car are not high and do not have head restraints (headrests).
  • Children should ride in a booster seat until they are at least 8 years old and are 4'9" or taller.

Additional Resources

Certified child passenger safety technicians are available to help you. For information or assistance with a car seat, contact the Community Resource Unit at (520) 382-2053.

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