NHTSA, for the first time, is keeping track of “not-in-traffic” injuries and deaths. In its first year of data, 2007, the system estimated that there were 262 child fatalities and approximately 115,000 injuries related to not-in-traffic incidents.

Over the past thirty years, the rate of obesity has doubled for children ages 2-5 and 12-15, and tripled for kids ages 6-11. Kim Hermann, Safe Kids USA, discussed how obesity presents challenges for child passengers.

In its January 2009 edition, SafetyBeltSafe News, published by SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. (SBS USA), called attention to two recent tragic cases where children were strangled by their shoulder belts.