Unintentional Injury Prevention
Efforts to reduce unintentional injuries in Macomb County for infants, children and adults.
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Why Is This Important?
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury to children under 14 years of age. More than 1300 children are killed in motor vehicle crashes each year. Many injuries can be prevented or minimized, particularly in children under 4'9" tall, by correctly using an appropriate car or booster seat in vehicles. Research through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has demonstrated that car seats can reduce the risk of injury by 71% in children under 1 year of age and by 54% in children 1-4 years of age. Booster seats reduce injury risk in 4-8 year olds by 45%.
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What We Do
Did you know that injuries from motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in children? (CDC 2006) Most of the injuries could be prevented by using age and size appropriate car seats. Using age and size appropriate car seats can reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers (ages 1 to 4). When a child grows out of a traditional "harness" car seat, using a booster seat (approximate ages 4 to 7) can reduce the risk of injury by 59% compared to using a seatbelt alone (NHTSA 2006).
Unfortunately, 8 out of 10 car seats are used incorrectly. Some common mistakes associated with car seat use are:
- Not securing the car seat tightly to the vehicle (it should move less than one inch)
- Not securing the child in the car seat correctly (harnesses should be snug to the child)
- Not using a booster seat when a child out grows his/her car seat
The Macomb County Health Department offers free car seat inspections year-round. Inspections are done on an appointment basis only, Monday through Friday. There are four Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on staff to answer your questions or inspect your car seats. To schedule an appointment or for more information on child passenger safety, please call (586) 412-3394 or email us now.
Who We Serve
There are no residency restrictions when requesting a car seat inspection from MCHD technicians.
How We Impact
We provide education on car seats and booster seats through car seat inspections and community presentations. Parents or caregivers are expected to actively participate in the car seat inspection process to learn how to best install their car seat and harness their child in the seat.
