We Work Together to Save Children's Lives

New Guidelines

Birth to at least 2 years old:

• ​Rear-facing in an infant or convertible child safety seat.

At least 2 years old AND has outgrown the rear-facing seat with internal harness by height or weight:

• Forward-facing with an internal harness.

4 years old AND has outgrown the forward-facing seat with internal harness by height or​ weight:

• Ride restrained in a belt-positioning booster seat using the lap belt and shoulder belt.

9 years old or has outgrown the booster seat AND the child can pass the five-step test that demonstrates how the seat belt fits correctly:

• Ride restrained with a lap belt and shoulder belt secured correctly on the vehicle seat.

Additionally, children under 13 years old must sit in the back seat if possible.

If a child falls into more than one category, then the child must be placed in the safer restraint for them. For example, a child who is 2.5 years old and weighs 35 pounds but has a car seat with a rear-facing limit of 40 pounds must stay rear-facing even though they are over 2 years old. It’s very important for parents and caregivers to always read their car seat and vehicle owners’ manuals for proper installation. ​

Downloadable child restraint guidance chart​. 

Statistics

In Minnesota crashes from 2019 to 2023, preliminary figures show:

• Of the 12,827 children ages 0-7 properly restrained, 89 percent were not injured. Another 10 percent sustained only minor injuries.
• 20 children ages 0-7 were killed in motor vehicles. Of those, only 10 were known to be properly secured.
• Of the 81 children (ages 0-7) seriously injured in motor vehicles, only 44 percent were known to be properly secured.

For the safety of your children 

• Be an attentive driver
• Always buckle up
• Always secure your children in the proper restraint for their age, height and weight.
• Always have your children sit in the back seat.

See what happens to a child in the front seat when an air bag deploys.

Child Passenger Safety – Child Passenger Safety (mn.gov)

Thanks for attending Bad Day on the Farm last week!

Check out the recording on our HECC YouTube channel.

We Want You to Become a Pediatric Champion!

EMSC MN is seeking individuals that are interested in improving the quality of pediatric care at your EMS agency or hospital. We created a fun little video to explain what a Pediatric Champion is and how to join the team of others.

Check out the video here

Peds Champion Form_2024