What is the safest way for my child to ride in a vehicle?
• All children 12 and under should ride properly restrained in a back seat. • Infants should ride in rear-facing safety seats as long as possible according to manufacturer instructions, until they are at least 12 months old and weigh at least 20 pounds. • Children who are at least 1 year old, weigh 20-40 pounds and can no longer ride rear-facing should ride in forward-facing child safety seats. • Children over 40 pounds should be correctly secured in belt-positioning boosters or other appropriate child restraints until the adult lap and shoulder belts fit correctly (around age 8). • Once the vehicle safety belts fit children, both lap and shoulder belts should be correctly used. • Any safety seat must be installed and used according to the manufacturer’s instructions and your vehicle owner’s manual. Why should I use child safety seats and safety belts? Even a relatively minor crash can be extremely violent. An unrestrained passenger can be thrown with a force many times his or her own
