National Seat Check Saturday is observed on the fourth Saturday in September every year. It encourages everyone with children to use their child safety seats properly to prevent their children from being injured or killed in an accident.

Every 30 seconds, a child under the age of 13 is injured in an automobile accident, which is why it is extremely important for all of us to keep this in mind while observing this holiday. The proper use of seat belts is the number one thing that childcare providers and parents can do to avoid injury or death to young children.

The History of National Seat Check Saturday

National Seat Check Saturday was created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—also known as the NHTSA. Although we are unsure of the exact year they created this holiday, we do know that it has been observed for several years.

Facts About Safety Belts and Children’s Safety

Below are some statistics about children’s safety in automobiles and how safety restraints protect children from accidents:

• Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children.
• Approximately 38% of children who died in 2019 while riding in passenger vehicles were unrestrained.
• An estimated 46% of car and booster seats are misused or improperly installed, which could reduce their effectiveness in an accident.

Observing National Seat Check Saturday

It is important for everyone to know the regulations about children’s age, weight, and height restrictions for booster seats, safety belts, and child seats. Using the proper method of restraint for a child is the best way to ensure that a child is safe during an accident.

It is also important that the booster seat or child seat is properly installed and has not been in previous accidents. While observing this holiday, everyone should use the hashtag #SeatCheckSaturday to spread the word about this important holiday.