National Child Passenger Safety Week
Car crashes remain a leading cause of death for children under 13, but injuries and fatalities can be prevented with the use of car seats, boosters, and seat belts. During National Child Passenger Safety Week, September 21 to 27, take the time to ensure your child’s car or booster seat is installed correctly and safely.
1. Choose the right car seat.
Make sure the car seat matches your child’s age, height, and weight. Not sure if you have the right fit? Visit NHTSA’s Right Seat guide for recommendations and installation tips.
2. Keep kids in the back.
The NHTSA advises all children under 13 to ride in the back seat. Airbags are designed to protect adults, but can be dangerous for children. Sitting in the back seat provides extra protection in a crash.
3. Don’t switch seats too soon.
Transitioning too early reduces protection. NHTSA data shows 1 in 10 kids ages 1 to 3 move to a booster seat too soon, and 1 in 5 kids ages 4 to 7 switch to seat belts only before it’s safe. Booster seats help ensure seat belts fit correctly.
4. Understand Hawaii’s cat seat laws.
Hawaii’s State Legislature passed changes to the child passenger laws during the 2022 session. Children under the age of two-years-old must be in a rear-facing car seat. Keiki between two to four years of age may be in a forward-facing seat. The law now requires children between four to 10 years-old to be properly restrained in a booster seat, raising the upper age limit by two years.
5. Get your car seat installation inspected for free on National Car Seat Check Saturday on Sept. 24
● Under age 2: rear-facing seat
● Ages 2-4: forward-facing seat
● Ages 4-10: booster seat
5. Lead by example.
Always wear your seatbelt when driving and make sure everyone in the car does the same.
Advocate for Change
When you pledge to practice responsible, courteous, and safe habits on the road, you become a Drive Aloha Ambassador. We’ll send you a Drive Aloha window decal to proudly display your commitment to promote traffic safety!