The Seat Belt Safety Campaign Aims to Keep our Tweens Safe

Last week I was driving with my daughter and I happened to look over at the car next to me while waiting at a stoplight.  I was so shocked to see a child no more than 6 years old moving around in the back seat, obviously not buckled in.  It took moment for me to register this.  I looked to the driver with shock on my face.  I was ready to say something (not sure what) but then the light changed and I lost my chance.  It really isn’t my business, I know, but when it comes to seeing a child potentially in a dangerous situation, mama bear comes out – even when it isn’t my child.

So when a friend contacted me on behalf of the Ad Council and The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and asked for my support of their Seat Belt Safety campaign, I was happy to post about it!  This campaign asks parents of children ages 8-14 to make sure their kids are consistently and properly wearing their seat belt every time they get in the car.

Parenting a tween involves compromise. But here’s one rule that should not be up for debate – the car doesn’t move until everyone is wearing a seat belt. So if you say it, and if we buckle up ourselves, your tween will buckle up. And if they don’t, that’s a fight worth having. It might just save your tween’s life.

Did you know that one child passenger age 8 – 14 is injured every 8 minutes in a car crash?  From 2009 – 2013, 1,522 kids ages 8-14 died in car, SUV and van crashes. Of those who died, almost half were unbelted.  As children get older they’re sometimes less likely to buckle up. The percentage of child passengers who die while riding unrestrained generally increases with age and is most pronounced among 13 and 14-year-olds regardless of seating position.  Here is their YouTube clip about this informative campaign.

Here is some good information about when to transition your child out of the booster seat to a seat belt and find out how it should properly fit: out :  https://www.safercar.gov/parents/SeatBelts/Beyond-Booster-Seats.htm

Please share this with your tween so they understand the importance of always making sure to buckle up: https://www.safercar.gov/parents/SeatBelts/Tweens-Seat-Belt-NonNegotiable.htm

  Is buckling up a non-negotiable rule in your family?

Buckling-up is an important habit to instill in children at a young age. Parents can lead by example by wearing a seat belt themselves and by insisting on seat belt use for every passenger in their vehicle. Seat belts and safety seats, if used correctly, dramatically reduce the risk of fatality or injury to children. Parents are the #1 influence on children’s seat belt usage: https://www.safercar.gov/parents/SeatBelts/Number-One-Influence.htm