Drivers on U.S. roads still have a long way to go when it comes to protecting our children in motor vehicles. Despite warnings from state law-enforcement officials, many children are not properly placed in a car seat or seat belt in automobiles.
Last year more than 2,098 children were killed in automobile crashes–many because they were riding unrestrained. Crashes are the leading cause of death and injury to American children–six out of 10 children who die in crashes are totally unrestrained.
According to national crash data, when a driver is buckled up, children are buckled up 87 percent of the time; when a driver is unbuckled, child belt use drops to only 24 percent.
As a practicing orthopedic surgeon in Illinois, I see firsthand the severe injuries that people can sustain if they fail to follow basic traffic safety rules.
This Memorial Day weekend, when in automobiles, I urge everyone to take the time to properly place children in a car seat or seat belt.
