Child Passenger Safety Week 2026: When Crash Evidence Tells the Story
Child Passenger Safety Week 2026 runs from September 20 to 26. This week is a good opportunity to highlight a key issue in motor vehicle litigation: keeping children safe in crashes.
For attorneys and those who handle insurance claims, child passenger safety is about more than determining whether the child was properly restrained. During a crash investigation, the child restraint system (CRS), the vehicle, the crash dynamics, the occupant kinematics, and the injuries sustained can all provide important evidence.
The Numbers Behind Child Passenger Safety
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), 550 children under age 13 died in traffic crashes in 2024. Of those fatalities, 167 children were unrestrained, while many others were inadequately restrained at the time of the crash.
Properly used child restraint systems can make a significant difference. NSC reports that car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers in passenger cars. Booster seats also reduce the risk of nonfatal injuries among children ages 4–8 compared with using a seat belt alone.
Unfortunately, proper installation also remains a challenge. The NSC reports that 65% to 73% of inspected car seats are installed incorrectly. This emphasizes the importance of proper selection, installation, and use.
Child Passenger Safety Tips
Parents and caregivers can take several steps to improve child passenger safety:
- Use the appropriate child restraint system based on the child’s age, height, weight, and developmental needs. NHTSA’s Car Seat Finder helps you find the right car seat for your child.
- Follow the car seat manufacturer’s instructions, which may recommend protection beyond minimum state-law requirements.
- Keep children in the rear seat. NSC recommends that children under 13 ride in the rear seat when possible.
- Never place a rear-facing car seat in front of an active frontal airbag.
- Check for recalls involving both the vehicle and child restraint.
- Register the car seat with the manufacturer so you can receive safety and recall information. You can also sign up with NHTSA to receive e-mail alerts about car seat and booster seat recalls.
- Have the installation checked by a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician when possible. Locate a car seat inspection station near you.
Evaluating Child Restraint System Performance
A CRS does not operate independently of the vehicle. Its performance depends on interactions with the vehicle seat, seat belt system, lower anchors, tether, and related components.
Understanding how and why the injury occurred can be an important part of litigation. A forensic engineer can evaluate the evidence to determine how the CRS was installed and how it interacted with the vehicle during the collision.
Depending on the case, forensic engineers may examine several types of evidence, including:
- The condition of the child restraint system and how it was installed
- Preferably, a vehicle inspection or photographs with the CRS still installed in the damaged vehicle.
- If the child restraint system has been removed from the vehicle, keep the involved system for examination.
- Seat belt, anchor points, and tether systems
- Occupant kinematics during the collision
- Photos and inspection records
- Manufacturer instructions and recall notices
- Documentation of the child’s injuries, such as hospital documents, medical images, photos, or detailed written descriptions
- The child’s height and weight at the time of the incident
- Pre-crash photographs of the CRS installed in the vehicle and the child’s seating position
- Whether the physical evidence supports different possible restraint or seating scenarios
The goal is to go beyond whether a restraint was used and evaluate how the restraint and child occupant interacted during the collision. These questions are important when the parties disagree about whether a child restraint was properly installed, whether a restraint system contributed to or mitigated an injury, or how the child’s position changed during the collision.
The Right Forensic Expert Matters
Child Passenger Safety Week is a reminder that proper restraints save lives—but when a crash occurs, the evidence can tell an important story.
When a child is injured in a motor vehicle collision, the questions can be complex. Our team of accident reconstruction engineers and biomechanical engineers helps attorneys, claims professionals, and juries better understanding what happened and why.
Qforensics also brings specialized child passenger safety expertise to these investigations. Cameron Trepeck, Ph.D., P.E., ACTAR, CPST, WACH, is a biomechanical engineer with expertise in child occupant safety systems. As a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST), Dr. Trepeck can provide critical insights into car seat installations, proper child fit in safety seats, and the mechanical performance of these devices.
Contact Qforensics to discuss your child passenger accident case and learn how our team can assist.
About Qforensics
Quality Forensic Engineering is a full-service forensic engineering firm providing engineering support to clients in accident reconstruction, biomechanics, fire investigations, patent litigation analysis, premises liability, product liability, and tire failure analysis. We use the latest technology and industry-proven techniques to provide thorough analysis, expert testimony, and conclusions for the most difficult engineering questions. Our forensic engineers support clients throughout the U.S. View our locations
