otor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children younger than age 14. Thankfully, there is a way you can prevent injuries to your children in the event of an accident — by properly restraining them every time you travel.

A correctly installed carseat reduces the risk of death by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Booster seats reduce injuries to children between the ages of 4 and 8 by 59 percent. If all child passengers ages 14 and younger were properly restrained, an estimated 182,000 serious injuries could be prevented annually.

To be safe in the car, all children less than 4 feet, 9 inches tall and 80 pounds should be secured in a car or booster seat. After that, children younger than age 12 should stay in the backseat with a seat belt securing them on every ride.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that as many as 85 percent of all carseats are used incorrectly, diminishing their protective effects. Use the tips below to help secure your child safely in the car.

• Carseats that are installed correctly will not move more than one inch from side to side or front to back. When installing a carseat, be sure the seat belt is locked either at the buckle or at the retractor, and use the downward force of your body weight in the carseat to help you tighten the seat belt.
• If a carseat has been involved in a crash, or is more than three years old, it almost always needs to be replaced. Used carseats are risky — be sure you know the history before you accept or buy a hand-me-down seat.
• The middle of the backseat is the safest place to position a carseat. If you can’t use the middle, the passenger side is slightly safer than the driver’s side.
• Harness straps need to be very snug against the child’s body. The harness clip should be placed high on his or her chest.
• The best carseat is one that fits your vehicle and your child, and that you will use on every trip. Not all carseats will fit in all vehicles.
• Always use and install the seat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Infants should ride in a rear-facing carseat until they weigh at least 20 pounds and reach 1 year of age. A child must meet both criteria before they can sit in a forward-facing carseat. The longer the child remains rearfacing, the more protected the head, neck and spinal cord will be. Never place a rear-facing child in the front seat with a passenger side air bag.
• Children older than age 1 and weighing more than 20 pounds with a carseat that will not allow them to remain rear-facing should ride in a forward-facing seat with a five-point harness.
• Children who have outgrown their carseats must use a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt until an adult safety belt fits correctly. Children should remain in the booster seat until they are 4 feet, 9 inches tall and weigh 80 pounds — usually at about 8 years of age.
• Never use a booster seat with a lap belt only. If a seat belt with both a lap and shoulder belt is not available, the booster seat will not be a safe restraint for the child.

• When safety belts fit children correctly (usually around age 8), both the lap and shoulder belts should be used. The child also should be tall enough to sit all the way back against the vehicle’s seat with his knees bent over the edge at a 90 degree angle. Children should remain in the back seat until they are at least 12 years of age.

At a carseat inspection, certified carseat technicians teach parents how to install and use their carseats correctly. The coalition recently won a grant for a “Buckle Up” van, which carries equipment and educational information to the inspection events.

Children’s offers free carseat inspections every Monday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Carseat Stop, located at the hospital. Appointments for inspection events and the Carseat Stop can be made by calling the Children’s Carseat Line at 214-456-2059.

For an online interactive carseat safety guide, visit www.childrens.com/carseatsafety.