According to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the proper use of child safety seats lowers the risk of car accident death by more than 50 percent for toddlers and 70 percent for infants. However, car accidents are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 3 and 14, indicating that many parents in Pittsburgh and throughout the country are not properly following the recommended guidelines for booster seats.

The vast majority of parents use car seats for their children when they are infants and toddlers. Last year, however, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) increased its recommendations regarding on child passenger safety. Now, the organization recommends that children use a booster seat from the time they outgrow their forward-facing car seat until they reach the height of 4 feet 9 inches tall. For most children, this happens between the ages of 8 and 12.

In a recent study of nearly 700 parents, only about 75 percent of parents with children between the ages of four and eight stated that they use a booster seat or other child safety seat. Many of those parents lived in a state in which traffic safety laws require the use of such safety seats.

It is not clear whether the remaining 25 percent of parents are unaware of the AAP recommendations or simply unwilling to comply due to cost or other restrictions. However, according to a pediatrician who worked on the study, it is imperative that parents do their best to comply. "Parents who do not consistently use booster seats for kids who are shorter than 57 inches tall are placing children at a greater risk of injury," she said.

Source: EmaxHealth.com, "Parents Not Consistent About Safety When Carpooling," Denise Reynolds RD, Jan. 30, 2012