Car Seat Safety

In an effort to further reduce risks to young passengers, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA have issued new child safety seat guidelines. The revised guidelines advise parents to keep children in rear-facing seats until they are 2 years old or until they are at the maximum height and weight for the seat, based on manufacturers' instructions.

The academy's previous policy suggested a child could be turned around to a forward-facing seat by age 12 months and 20 pounds.

The academy also says most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they reach 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between ages 8 and 12. Children should remain in the backseat until they are 13, experts say.

In addition to recommending that children stay in rear-facing seats as long as possible, NHTSA and other organizations continue reminding parents that for child safety seats to be effective, they must be installed correctly. 

According to the study, just 26.9 percent of parents installed a child car seat correctly. This means that three out of four parents could use some help.

For instructional videos, visit NHTSA's child safety page