Every year, thousands of children are tragically injured or
killed in motor vehicle crashes. In
fact, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the United States
for children between the ages of 1 and 12. Many of these deaths are preventable with the
proper use of seat belts, child safety seats, and booster seats. Research shows that car seats reduce the risk
of fatal injury by 71 percent for children younger than 1 and by 54 percent for
children 1 to 4 years old.Unfortunately, studies also show that Hispanic and African American children are significantly less likely than other children to be buckled up in seat belts or car seats, and are more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash. For example:
- African American children
are 50 percent less likely to be buckled up than Caucasian children;
- African American children 5 to 9 years old are three times more likely to die in car crashes than Caucasian children;
