Car Seat Safety
Perhaps the most important investment you can make in your child's future is a child safety seat. A child safety seat prevents your child from being thrown about or out of the vehicle. The Injury Prevention Program within the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Trauma Services Department offers guidelines to assist in child car seat selection.
Even after adhering to a car seat manufacturer's requirements and installation instructions, some children have difficulty fitting into a safety seat. A car seat inspection by trained professionals can be helpful in determining whether the child and car seat are a good match for one another.
Well-designed child car seats spread the force of a crash evenly over a child's fragile body and protects the child's head and spinal cord.
Used properly, a safety seat also improves child behavior, lessening the chance of the child distracting the driver and causing an accident.
Free Car Seat Safety Inspections
During the year, Cincinnati Children's Trauma Services Department staff offer free car seat safety inspections throughout the community. During these inspections, staff members offer guidance on topics, including:
- Child safety seats and the law
- Choosing the right safety seat
- Correct safety seat installation
- Restraining your child in a safety seat
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this or any other Safety and Injury Prevention Health Topics, please contact Trauma Services, 513-636-7865.
Rev. 2/06
