COLORADO SPRINGS — September is Child Passenger Safety Month, and the Safe Kids Coalition with Children's Hospital is highlighting automobile safety with a focus on kids.
The Safe Kids Coalition says automobile collisions are the second leading cause of trauma in kids they see in the E.R. This year, Children’s Hospital Colorado Springs has treated around 50 children with traumatic injuries from motor vehicle collisions.
So far, 2020 numbers of traffic fatalities in Colorado have met or exceeded 2019 numbers showing how big an issue this continues to be.
Even if parents and caregivers are responsible drivers, how other people drive is out of your control. It’s important to ensure your child is correctly restrained in case the unimaginable happens.
"You may think when they are 8, 9, or 10 that they are old enough to be in a seat belt but it's not about age, it's about fit," said Amanda Abramczyk-Thill, the Safe Kids Coalition coordinator for Children's Hospital.
Seat belts are made for a person the size of an adult, typically when a child is around 4’9” tall. Keep this in mind if you’re deciding whether or not to keep your child riding in a booster seat.
"You want to make sure that the seat belt is falling in the right place and that's halfway between their shoulder and their neck," Abramcyk-Thill said.
Click here to find a car seat inspection station near you.
