Mid Valley Reporter

Child Restraint System Facts

• That ODOT crash data for 2020 shows that a lack of safety belt use or child restraint use was a factor in 32%, or 100, of a total 311 mortor vehicle occupant fatalaties
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading nationwide cause of death for children ages one through twelve years old. In 2020, 1,019 children under the age of twelve were injured in Oregon traffic crashes, 10% were reported to not be using a child restraint system. 
• It is estimated that car seats may increase crash survival by 71% for infants under one year old and up to 59% for toddlers aged one to four. 
• Booster seats may reduce the chance of nonfatal injury among four to eight year olds by 45% compared to safety belts alone. 
• In 2017, Oregon passed a law requiring children to ride in a rear-facing safety seat until they are at least two years old. This will better protect the child's head, neck, and spine from potential crash injuries by spreading crash forces evenly across the seat and child's body while also limiting forward and sideways motion of the head.

For more information on Oregon State Child Restraint Law go to the following website(s):

https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Documents/ODOT_Car_Seat_Flyer_2021-English.pdf

https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Documents/ODOT_Car_Seat_Flyer_2021-Spanish.pdf

https://www.oregon.gov/odot/Safety/Documents/ODOT_Car_Seat_Flyer_2021-Russian.pdf

For help selecting or installing child car seats, consult the seat manufacturer's instructions, your vehilce owner's manual or visit a local child seat fitting station. You can find them here:  

https://oregonimpact.org/Child_Passenger_Safety

Original source can be found here.