GLEN BURNIE, MD (September 20, 2021) – In the past few months Maryland has seen several road accidents involving children who were not properly secured in a safety seat of the correct size for their age, height and weight.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car accidents are the leading cause of child death. To counter this heartbreaking statistic, the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) is hosting Child Passenger Safety Week September 19-25, reminding parents and carers to ensure children are using car seats properly drive as safely as possible, boosters and seat belts.

“Children are some of our most vulnerable passengers, so it is critical for parents and guardians to take car seat safety seriously,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer, who also serves as Highway Safety Representative to Governor Larry Hogan. “We want drivers to emphasize the importance of seat belts in their children from an early age, so that as they get older it becomes second nature to buckle up – in every seat, every time.”

The NHTSA recommends that children ride in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible until the maximum height and weight allowed on their respective seats. Once a child has outgrown the rear-facing “baby” car seat, they should travel in a rear-facing “convertible” or all-in-one car seat. Once your child exceeds the rear-facing height restrictions, they are ready to travel in a harness-mounted forward facing car seat. After children have grown out of the forward facing seat belt, they should be placed in the booster seat until they are the correct size to use only the seat belts safely.

Instructional videos

Throughout Child Passenger Safety Week, MDOT MVA will post new videos at 11:00 a.m. on these social media sites: @MD_MVA for MDOT MVA on Twitter and Facebook and @ZeroDeathsMD for the Highway Safety Office on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Make sure to share these videos with friends, families, and followers:

  • Monday, September 20th: Review of the Children’s Passenger Safety Week with Myra Wieman, Deputy Director of the MDOT MVA Motorway Safety Bureau and Children’s Passenger Safety Technician.
  • Tuesday, September 21: Reverse Facing – Demonstrate how to correctly install a rear facing car seat and how to tell when a child is ready for the next car seat.
  • Wednesday, September 22nd: Forward Facing – Demonstrate the correct installation of Forward Facing / All-in-One safety seats and how to tell when a child is ready for the next booster seat.
  • Thursday, September 23rd: Booster Seats – Demonstrate the proper use of Booster Seats and fully review the difference between Booster Seats without a backrest and Booster Seats.
  • Friday, September 24th: seat belts – Guidelines and tips for changing from a booster seat to “seat belt only” and the importance of buckling up for all vehicle occupants.

Events

In addition to instructional videos, MDOT MVA supports the following in-person and virtual events hosted by Maryland Kids in Safety Seats (MD KISS), Safe Kids Carroll County, Safe Kids Frederick, and Safe Kids Montgomery County to ensure that child seats are properly installed.

Monday 20th September

  • Howard County: Fifth District Volunteer Fire Department, 5000 Signal Bell Lane, Clarksville, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday, September 21

  • Carroll County: Barrack G – Maryland State Police, 1100 Baltimore Blvd., Westminster, 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, September 23

  • Anne Arundel County: Fitzgerald Auto Mall, 34 Hudson St., Annapolis, 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Montgomery County: 14111 Georgia Ave., Aspen Hill, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Friday September 24th

  • Frederick County: Frederick MVA Branch, 1601 Bowmans Farm Road, Frederick, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Saturday September 25th

  • National seat check Virtual car seat check on Saturday. Register for the event HERE.
  • Montgomery County: 14111 Georgia Ave., Aspen Hill, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

MDOT MVA’s Highway Safety Office will also broadcast specific messages for the safety of Be the BUCKLED-UP drivers and children on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

Parents and carers are reminded to register car seats and booster seats with the manufacturer in order to be informed of any recalls. visit NHTSA.gov/recalls to see if there are any current recalls for your car seat, booster seat or vehicle. For a full list of webinar and car seat events, click here. Learn more about the Highway Safety Office at MDOT MVA at ZeroDeathsMD.gov or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @ZeroDeathsMD.

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