In accordance with Child Passenger Safety Week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is emphasizing the importance of proper safety seat implementation and overall child passenger measures.
The guidance heightened during the week of Sept. 20-26 also warns the public about the dangers of leaving a child alone in a hot car.
“Safety is the Department’s top priority, and we urge drivers to ensure their child passenger is riding in the appropriate car seat and never leave a child in a hot car,” Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said.
The NHTSA said the initiative involves communities enlisting the services of Child Passenger Safety Technicians, whether in person or virtually, to provide free guidance regarding the manner to use car seats, booster seats, and seat belts – as well as aiding families on choosing the right car seat for a child, installing the seat correctly and using the seat correctly every time.
“We are dedicated to keeping children safe in our vehicles and on our roads,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator James Owens said. “Not only is the proper seat for age and size important, it’s also critical for parents and caregivers to be aware of the danger of heatstroke for children left in, or sneaking into, a hot car. Remember our campaign – Park. Look. Lock.”
The agency maintains the occurrence of children dying from heatstroke in cars, because they were left or became trapped, has increased in recent years – indicating 54 percent of such deaths occur when someone forgets a child in a car. In 2020, there have been 20 children who have died from pediatric vehicular heatstroke.