Kids' Crash Test

By Amy Dickinson

When I was a kid, back in the days when Corvairs roamed the earth, my buddies and I rode in our families' clunkers unencumbered by pesky safety devices. We would wave our arms out of windows, have boxing matches in the back seat and fiddle with the door-locking buttons before Mom delivered her don't-make-me-pull-over speech. When I look back on those family car trips, I shudder at how dangerous they were.

Car crashes are the leading cause of injury and death among U.S. children, and though most of us now think of car seats as standard baby equipment, about half of all children under the age of four who died in vehicle accidents last year were not restrained. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calculates that only about two-thirds of children ages five to 15 buckle their seat belts.

Moreover, the traffic-safety agency estimates that even among parents who always strap their children in, 85% are not doing it properly. We often don't know where best to place our kids, don't use the proper restraint for their age and weight, or don't install the safety seat correctly. I regularly get letters from readers who are confused about these matters. So when I saw that the safety agency was planning a big push on child-passenger safety in February, I went to its dank parking garage in downtown Washington for a hands-on demonstration. Though it's not rocket science, I learned that it does take some concentration (and exertion) to make the kiddies as secure as possible in the car.

Despite what you may have read recently about front seats collapsing onto back seats when certain car models get in accidents, the safest place in the car for any child up to the age of 12 is still the back seat. Babies up to 20 lbs. and one year old should ride in rear-facing infant seats. Wait until your baby is one before switching him to a front-facing seat, even if he is more than 20 lbs. Never place a child under age 12 in the front seat with a working passenger-side air bag. These devices are discharged at 200 m.p.h. and can be triggered by low-speed fender benders. They have killed 77 kids since 1993. If you must place a child in front, make sure the passenger-side air bag is switched off. Car dealers, the American Automobile Association and the traffic-safety agency www.nhtsa.dot.gov can help.

Children over age one should ride in forward-facing safety seats with a five-point harness system. The seat should be installed very tightly, with less than an inch of "wiggle." To achieve this, I had to stand inside the car and shove the car seat down with a knee while tightening the lap strap through the back. Test the tightness by trying to yank the seat from its mooring, then tighten some more. Starting next year, new cars will have permanent metal pins behind the seat that will make for an easier and more secure fit.

A child who weighs at least 40 lbs. and is at least 40 in. tall can graduate to a booster seat that elevates her so that the standard shoulder and lap belt fit properly.

And don't forget: parents should never drive without buckling up themselves. The toddler you're strapping in today will be a teenager asking for the car keys before you know it. Your good example may prove to be the most important piece of safety equipment in your child's life.

See our website at time.com/personal for more about car safety for kids. You can send Amy an e-mail at [email protected]