Curb Children's Car-Related Injuries by Riding Safe

Volvo offers a safety guide for National Child Passenger Safety Week

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 15, 2008 - This fall, don't forget to protect your most precious cargo -- your children. In honor of National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 21-27, 2008, Volvo Cars of North America offers a safety guide to help parents better protect their kids on the roads.

"Volvo's history is rooted in safety for both drivers and passengers," said Doug Speck, president and chief executive officer of Volvo Cars of North America. "Our engineers have made major contributions to increasing child and adult safety in vehicles, including the invention of the first three-point safety belt in 1959 and the first child booster seat in 1978. Currently, we are working to create an injury-proof Volvo, but until then, we'd like to help parents keep their kids as safe as possible while on the road."

Great strides have been made in recent years in protecting child passengers. Volvo offers these tips to help keep kids safe while riding in cars:

-- Back seat. All children under the age of 12 should sit in the back seat of a vehicle to provide the safest ride possible.

-- Rear-facing safety seat. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, three out of four child safety seats are installed incorrectly in vehicles, often without parents realizing it. Infants should be place in a rear-facing child safety seat until at least age one or until they weigh 20 pounds. Check to see that the safety belt holds the seat tightly in place and make sure the harness is buckled snugly around your child. Some new cars, including Volvos, now offer integrated booster seats. Visit http://www.volvocars.com/us/experience/Pages/safety.aspx to learn more about child safety in cars.

-- Forward-facing child seat. When a child is too large for a rear-facing seat (Volvo recommends 4 years), they should ride in a forward-facing safety seat secured in the back seat of the vehicle via the LATCH/ISOFIX or seat belt. The owners' manual for the child restraint manufacturer should be consulted.

-- Booster seat. At around age 4 and at least 40 pounds, children should ride in belt positioning booster seats. Children at this age are not yet large or mature enough to correctly use the adult safety belt. Buckling a child without a booster seat is premature and could cause abdominal, spinal, head, facial and neck injuries if the child is a passenger in a car crash.

-- Adult safety belts. Most children outgrow their booster seat at age 8 or when they are 4'9" tall. Now they are ready for the standard adult seat belts. Ensure that the seat belt rests across the chest and not the neck. Remember to teach your kids good seat belt habits. Buckle up immediately after getting in the car and keep the safety belt on until the car is turned off.

-- Seat belt fitting. A seat belt fits a child properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest and not the neck. If a child isn't large enough for the seat belt, revisit the booster seat option.

-- Security. Always check to make sure child seats are securely in place every time your child is riding in the car.

-- Advice. Don't be afraid to ask your pediatrician, child's teachers or other parents specific safety questions. Keeping kids safe is a community effort. Take advantage of the knowledge experienced parents have acquired over the years.