A new study looked at car crashes where someone died and found something very scary: almost 70% of children under 13 years old were not using the right car seats or seat belts when the crash happened. 

What the Study Found 

Scientists from a children’s hospital in Chicago studied 50,000 kids who were in deadly car crashes between 2011 and 2021. Here’s what they discovered: 

• 36% of kids were moved to grown-up seat belts too early (they should have still been in car seats or booster seats) 

• 20% weren’t wearing any seat belt at all 

• 15% were sitting in the front seat (which is dangerous for kids) 

• 9% were both in the front seat AND not wearing a seat belt 

Why This Matters 

Every single day in America, three children die in car crashes and 429 more get hurt. Many of these deaths and injuries could be prevented if kids used the right car seats and seat belts. 

The study found that kids aged 4-7 and 8-12 were more likely to not be buckled up correctly. Kids from poorer neighborhoods were also more likely to not have proper car safety gear. 

What Makes Kids Safer 

The researchers found that states with stricter car seat laws and bigger fines for not wearing seat belts had fewer kids who weren’t buckled up right. 

One of the scientists, Dr. Michelle Macy, said: “State policy makes a huge difference in promoting safer transportation practices for child passengers.” 

The Bottom Line 

Car seats and booster seats save lives! The study shows we need better programs to teach parents and caregivers how to use car seats correctly and help them get the right safety equipment for their kids. 

The scientists hope their research will help create new programs in areas where kids aren’t being kept safe in cars. 

Link to original study: Arthi S. Kozhumam et al, Characterizing suboptimal child passenger safety practices in crashes with fatalities: Child, driver, vehicle, neighborhood, and policy factors, Traffic Injury Prevention (2025). DOI: 10.1080/15389588.2025.2526615