Buckle up, Save a Child: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages 2 to 14. Statistics show car and booster seats when used properly, can dramatically reduce the risk of fatal injuries.

Highways can be a safe place, when you're following the rules and regulations of the road. That includes paying attention to how your child is buckled up. First, all children need to be in the back seat. Infants need to be in a rear facing seat until they're at least one year and 20 pounds. You can switch to a front facing toddler seat at age 1 and 20 pounds to age 4 and 40 pounds. Then comes the booster seat.

Dr. Joe Matusic, MD/Pediatrician
As far as booster seats I like the one where the strap for the car goes around and straps them in. Just strapping the booster seat to the main seat- there's too much play and that child could go forward and hit the seat in the front of them.

Kids from about age 4 to at least 8 years old can use them unless they're 4'9" tall. It's when they get to that booster seat stage, that you have to be extra cautious about how the seat belt fits them. If it's not in the right spot you risk serious injury.

Dr. Matusic
Look at where the level of the hips are. Just feel where the hip bone is, and the lap belt should be, at or below level of the hips. If it's over the waist, if you hit something at 15 to 20 miles per hour, it's going to tear through the internal organs and arteries and they can literally die without having a bruise on their belly because it was a waste belt not lap belt.

The biggest injuries I see when belts aren't fitted properly are pretty significant abdominal injuries, abdominal tears, your can tear the arteries in the gut, internally you can have severe bruising in the belly. I've seen a lot of chest injuries, neck injuries, bruises and lacerations and head injuries because the torso wasn't properly restrained from the shoulder belt.

Dr. Matusic says the best thing you can do to help yourself and your child, is to read the directions that come with the seat you buy, or talk to a state trooper about how to install your seat.

Dr. Matusic
As any trooper will tell you, a properly restrained child rarely has significant injuries.

One site which has more information for you is The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at www.nhtsa.gov