Florida DOT reveals 94 percent of youngest passengers riding safely

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) released a report last week highlighting the efforts of most drivers to keep their children safe.

The 2018 Child Restraint Survey showed that 94 percent of the state’s infant passengers were restrained properly, and 84 percent of children between 0 and 12 were so restrained. Aiding this has been an increased use of rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster car seats — safety functions which have been shown to reduce fatalities by as much as 71 percent among infants and 54 percent for toddlers.

“As a parent or caregiver, keeping your children safe is always a top priority,” FDOT Secretary Mike Dew said. “Using car seats that are age and size-appropriate is the best way to keep children safe and can reduce serious and fatal injuries by more than half. Make sure your child is always bucked in safely and correctly–every trip, every time.”

Florida law specifically required children to be restrained in separate carriers or integrated car seats until age three. Between ages four and five, children must also ride in a separate carrier, integrated child seat, child booster seat or with a safety belt. FDOT also recommends but does not enforce the notion that children under 12 should ride with seatbelts on in the back seat.