Officials remind travelers to keep kids safe during holidays

State Transportation Secretary Gene Conti advises people to make sure children are safe while traveling this holiday season.

“As families travel this season, I urge everyone to make sure their children are buckled up in car seats, booster seats or with seat belts,” Conti said via a news release. “As a father, I know how precious children are and I encourage everyone to take a little extra time to make sure their children are safe this season.”

In 2008, 4,268 children 7 and younger were injured; and 20 were killed in motor vehicle crashes in North Carolina. Of the 20 that were fatally injured, six were unsecured, the release said.

Here are some tips to help keep children in your vehicle safe as you travel this season:

• Children 12 and under should always be in the back seat.
• Infants should be in the back seat in a rear-facing child safety seat, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
• When children outgrow their rear-facing seats they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
• Young children too large for child safety seats should ride in booster seats in the back seat until they are large enough to buckle up safely without the seat, typically age 8 or when they are 4’9” tall.
• Be sure those child safety seats are installed properly; three out of four are improperly installed in vehicles according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• For more information about child passenger safety and the proper use of booster seats, visit www.BoosterSeat.gov or www.buckleupnc.org. Information about child passenger safety clinics is available by contacting Safe Kids North Carolina toll free at 1-888-347-3737.