Motor vehicle crashes are a leading source of injury and death and children are especially vulnerable in a crash because of the size and shape of their bodies. When traveling in a vehicle, young children should ride in child safety seats, which are designed to protect them by spreading the forces of a crash over their entire body.

Research shows that child safety seats, when used correctly, can reduce fatalities among children less than five years old by 71 percent.

INFANTS

An infant (up to one year of age) should travel in a federally approved infant safety seat that must always face the rear of the car. Facing rearward protects the infant's fragile head and neck if a crash does occur. The seat should also be semi-reclined so the baby's head does not flop forward.

TODDLERS

Convertible seats are for children up to about 4 years of age. This seat is used facing the rear while the baby is under one year old. It may be turned around to face the front when the baby is about one year old.

When children outgrow a convertible seat, they should travel in a booster seat. A booster seat makes the safety belt fit better and more comfortably.

A 2007 Wayne State University study indicated 91.8 percent of children under age four were in child restraints, but 80.1 percent of those restraints were installed incorrectly. This compares to 79.7 percent use and 71.4 percent misuse in the previous survey. The most common errors were for harness straps and the seats themselves to be too loose.

CHILD SAFETY SEAT REGISTRATION

Registration of child safety seats makes it easier to notify owners of safety-related recalls, such as faulty handles or harnesses. Consumers who would like to register their child safety seats but are unable to locate their child safety seat registration cards may register their seats through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Registration forms can be obtained at NHTSA's Web site. (First select "Recalls," and then "Child Safety Seat Registration Form.").  Forms can also be ordered by calling NHTSA's Auto Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236. Consumers should mail the signed form to NHTSA, which will forward it to the manufacturer for registration.

To see a list of child seat recalls, click here.

An online child safety seat information service is available at NHTSA's Web site. It helps parents and caregivers make better decisions about protecting their children while traveling by guiding them to the right child restraint for their children's needs. It includes full-color photographs of different child safety seats with step-by-step installation guidelines.

Information is available on NHTSA's Web site and can be accessed by clicking on the "Child Safety Seats" icon or the "Child Passenger Safety" section.

The new child safety seat rating system rule was mandated by the Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act of 2000.  Notice of the rule is posted on NHTSA's Web site and can be reached by clicking on "Notices and Final Rules."