PennDOT reminds parents to check child car seat use

HARRISBURG — PennDOT and its safety partners are reminding parents and caregivers to make sure children are properly secured when traveling in a motor vehicle as National Child Passenger Safety Week approaches.

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This year’s awareness campaign runs Sept. 20-26 and uses the theme “In It to Win It – Safety Starts with the Right Seat.”

According to the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project, 81% of children under age 4 who were involved in crashes between 2021 and 2025 and were restrained in the appropriate child safety seat sustained no injuries.

Pennsylvania’s child occupant protection requirements include:

• Birth to age 2: Children must be secured in a rear-facing car seat.
• Ages 2 to 4: Children must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat. A rear-facing seat is recommended until the child reaches the manufacturer’s height or weight limits.
• Ages 4 to 7: Children must use an appropriate booster seat with a harness belt.
• Ages 8 to 18: Children must use a seat belt regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle.

Mike Tautin, a Community Traffic Safety Project Coordinator with the Highway Safety Network, said car seats, booster seats and seat belts can help protect children in crashes when they are used correctly.

Parents and caregivers can also register car seats with the manufacturer to receive recall and safety notices. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the free SaferCar app, which provides safety recall information for vehicles and car seats.

PennDOT funds more than 75 fitting stations where trained technicians can check the installation of child safety seats. Parents can find fitting stations through the Pennsylvania Traffic Injury Prevention Project or the NHTSA car seat inspection directory.

Pennsylvania State Police will also hold free child passenger safety events throughout the state during the awareness week. Trained technicians will be available at those events to help install or inspect child safety seats. A schedule of events is available through the state police website.

Additional information on child passenger safety is available through PennDOT.