WisDOT video shows how to use child safety seats properly

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

During national Child Passenger Safety Week from September 18 to 24, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will use social media (Twitter: @WisconsinDOT and Facebook: Facebook.com/WisDOT) as well as other messaging to remind adults that properly securing children in vehicles can be a matter of life or death.

“The best way to protect children in vehicles is to obtain the right type of safety seat, ensure it’s properly installed, and use it the right way,” says David Pabst, director of the WisDOT Bureau of Transportation Safety.

To help determine the proper safety seat (based on a child’s age and size) and how to use it, WisDOT offers an instructional video on its website.

“The installation and proper use of child safety seats can be challenging, and the type and placement of the seats change as your child grows.  The Zero In Wisconsin video on ‘How to Properly Use Child Safety Seats in Wisconsin’ provides easy-to-follow instructions. It also will be a great reference resource as your child grows,” Pabst says. “We hope that adults who transport children will use our video to help ensure they are fully protecting their precious passengers. Adults also should set a good example for children by always wearing their seat belts.”

A list of child passenger safety information resources, including locations for car seat safety checks, is available at the WisDOT website.