An official website of the United States government.
Here's how you know
The .gov means it's official.
Federal government websites always use a .gov or .mil domain. Before sharing sensitive information online, make sure you’re on a .gov or .mil site by inspecting your browser's address (or "location") bar.
This site is also protected by an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that's been signed by the U.S. government. The https:// means all transmitted data is encrypted — in other words, any information or browsing history that you provide is transmitted securely.
This study explored how children are restrained when traveling in ride-share vehicles. An observational survey was conducted from July to August 2022. The target population was children from birth to 12 years old transported in ride-share vehicles. About half of children observed were traveling unrestrained and the remainder were either using the vehicle seat belt […]
Car seats and boosters provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. That’s why it’s so important to choose and use the right car seat correctly every time your child is in the car. Follow these important steps to […]
Car seats and boosters provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. That’s why it’s so important to choose and use the right car seat correctly every time your child is in the car. Follow these important steps to […]
The 2016 Motor Vehicle Occupant Safety Survey used address-based sampling with a multi-mode methodology to produce nationally representative estimates of self-reported behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge related to various motor vehicle occupant safety topics among United States adults 18 and older. The current volume is third in a series of four volumes describing the survey and […]
The purpose of this research was to explore candidate booster performance metrics that have the potential to identify less effective booster systems. A combination of volunteer testing of belt fit and posture along with dynamic sled tests of booster seats was employed to achieve the project goals. Posture and belt fit were measured in 24 […]
A parent’s priority is always to keep their child safe, and that includes making sure they are in the right car seat for their age and size, and to make sure that car seat meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSSs). Through a concerned law enforcement officer, we learned about a vehicle seat on the market […]
As part of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) mission to help Americans drive, ride, and walk safely, the agency is urging consumers to avoid using or purchasing car seats for their child that do not meet federal safety standards. On October 29, 2019, a concerned pediatrician alerted NHTSA about […]
The following is a list of car seats. Manufacturer names are boldfaced. Weight is in pounds [lb] and height is in inches [“].
IIHS ratings take the guesswork out of selecting boosters most likely to provide good lap and shoulder belt fit in a range of vehicles. Unlike child restraints with built-in harnesses, booster seats rely on vehicle safety belts to restrain children. Boosters are supposed to make adult belts fit children better and are for kids who […]
Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing seats. All children whose weight or height exceeds the forward-facing limit for their car seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 through 12 […]
