Resources on Early Learning

Tip Sheets

Far too often, we hear of preventable tragedies involving young children and cars. We can avoid these tragedies by keeping in mind a few simple rules.

Never hold a baby or young child in your lap when riding in a car Always use a car seat suited to your baby's age and size. It's important to use the right kind of car seat. Illinois's 2002 Child Passenger Protection Act specifies that

• Children under age 4 must be secured in an approved child safety seat—rear-facing for infants, forward-facing for toddlers, and forward-facing booster seats that are used with the vehicle lap and shoulder belt system for older preschoolers.
• Children ages 4 to 16 must be secured in a child safety seat or seat belt.
• The parent or legal guardian of a child under 4 years of age is responsible for providing a child safety seat to anyone who transports his or her child.
• Children with physical disabilities that prevent the use of standard child safety seats are exempt from the provisions of the law if the disability is duly certified by a physician.

Put children in the back seat—away from the air bag! An inflating passenger air bag can kill a baby in a rear-facing safety seat if the seat is in the front. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warns against placing a child seat for infants in the front seat of any car with an air bag. NHTSA also recommends that the safest place for children of any age to ride is the rear seat of a vehicle.

Give each child a separate seat belt A child who isn't buckled up could hurt himself or someone else. Buckling two people—even two children—into one seat belt could injure both of them in a crash. Each child safety seat needs its own seat belt too.

Avoid heat-related injuries In just a few minutes alone in a car, children can be in serious danger from heat exposure and dehydration, even if the windows are partly open. No matter how short a time you plan to be away from the car, take your child with you.

Remember that children don't belong in truck beds Allowing children to ride in a truck bed is dangerous as well as illegal. They can fall out of the truck bed when the driver swerves, brakes, or drives over rough roads. Children may forget what you have told them and stand up, sit on the tailgate, or play while the truck is moving. Covered truck beds pose problems, too. In covered truck beds, children can become overheated and be exposed to carbon monoxide poisoning from exhaust fumes.

For more information on keeping children safe in the car, check out these Web sites:

• Child Passenger Safety
  http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.
  9f8c7d6359e0e9bbbf30811060008a0c
• Safe Ride Helpline for Child Passenger Safety
  http://www.carseat.org/
• Where Should Your Child Ride?
  http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/safety/
  car_seats_safety/back_seat.html
• Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2007
  http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm
• How do I interpret the Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act?
  http://www.buckleupillinois.org/illaw.html

The opinions, resources, and referrals provided in this Tip Sheet are intended for information purposes only and should not be considered or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We advise parents to seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with questions regarding their child’s health or medical conditions.

Spanish: Mantenga a su niño seguro en el automóvil

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