7 Tips To Be Safe in Cars

1:Babies face backward.

Face babies backward in their car seats. And keep them that way for as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until the age of 1 and until they weigh at least 20 pounds.

2:Toddlers face forward.

Keep toddlers in forward-facing car seats until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular car-seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).

3:Use a booster seat.

Keep young children in booster seats--in the back seat--until they are as old as 8 years or at least 4'9'' tall. One way to tell if they're positioned correctly in the booster is to look at the seat belt: It should fit with the lap belt laying across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fitting easily across the chest.

4:Never leave children inside a parked car.

According to NHTSA, even cool outside temperatures in the 60s can cause the car's interior to hit 110 degrees Fahrenheit and higher. (The inside temperature can rise almost 20 degrees within the first 10 minutes.) If a child is inside the vehicle, they can quickly succumb to heatstroke and death.

5:Protect your pregnancy.

When pregnant, wear the seat belt low across the belly, with the center portion placed firmly along the breastbone. Contrary to some myths, it's always safer to wear a seat-belt, even when eight or nine months pregnant, than to not wear one for fear of crushing the unborn child in the event of a crash.

6:Prevent rollaways.

Engage your emergency brake every time you park. That way, even if a child should try to roll the car's automatic transmission out of park, the car won't budge. Keeping the vehicle locked at all times also helps prevent rollaway injuries.

7:Don't let children strangle in a seat belt.

Most seat belts lock when the belt is pulled all the way out from the retractor. This feature is designed for child seat installation, but it can also twist around children who get caught in the ties. To prevent this, do not let children lie down across the car seat, and buckle and tuck away all unused belts in the car.