Too many young children are not riding in age-appropriate child restraints, according to a AAA Northeast analysis of Massachusetts crash data.
To highlight National Child Passenger Safety Week (Sept. 20 – 26), AAA Northeast analyzed MassDOT crash data and found that an alarming number of children were involved in crashes while riding without child restraints. In 2019, one third of 5-year-olds and more than half of 6 to 7-year-olds wore only seat belts or, in some cases, were unrestrained entirely:
| Age | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| % of children involved in crashes that were riding outside a child restraint | 11% | 11% | 11% | 15% | 21% | 33% | 45% | 61% |
Currently, Massachusetts law requires children to ride in a child restraint until age 8 or until they are taller than 57 inches.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ride in a:
- Rear-facing car seat as long as possible (at least until age 2), followed by a
- Forward-facing car seat until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer, followed by a
- Booster seat until they are 57 inches tall
“Riding in an age-appropriate car seat or booster seat instead of an ill-fitting seatbelt can make the difference between a minor injury and a severe injury for a young child,” said Mary Maguire, Director of Public & Legislative Affairs for AAA Northeast. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children, and more than 1200 children under 8 years old were injured in crashes on Massachusetts roads in 2019.
On a positive note, the percentage of 5-7 year-olds riding in child restraints has risen in recent years, but child restraint usage for 0-2 year-olds has barely budged. With that in mind, AAA Northeast is working to pass Senate Bill 1411/House Bill 3575, which would require children under two to ride rear-facing.
“Our top priority is keeping children safe and ensuring they’re properly restrained,” Maguire said.
AAA Northeast is a not-for-profit auto club with 63 offices in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire and New York, providing more than 5.7 million local AAA members with travel, insurance, finance, and auto-related services.
| Kayla Broadmeadow
Executive Assistant to Lloyd Albert, SVP Public / Government Affairs |
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AAA NORTHEAST 110 Royal Little Drive | Providence, RI 02904 T: 401-868-2000, ext. 2120 | F: 401-868-2014 |
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