• In 1998, there were more than 58 million children under 15 years old in the United States. This age group (0-14 years) made up 22 percent of the total U.S. resident population last year.
• Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all children ages 5-15 (as well as for older teens and young adults).
• In 1998, there were a total of 41,471 traffic fatalities in the U.S. Six percent of those were children ages 0-14 (2,549 fatalities, including 1,772 as motor vehicle occupants).
• Every day, an average of seven children (age 0-14) are killed and another 866 are injured in motor vehicle crashes.

There is good news, however. In 1998, an estimated 19 million more Americans started buckling up. That brought the nation's seat belt usage to a record high level and is likely saving about 1,500 lives a year.

With the successes we've had in increasing belt use, we know what works: stricter laws, highly visible enforcement, public education and expanded partnerships. NHTSA and its public and private sector partners such as the Air Bag and Seat Belt Safety Campaign support two nationwide enforcement mobilizations each year, one around Memorial Day and another at Thanksgiving, to emphasize the need to protect children. But law enforcement efforts must be year-round, and National Child Passenger Safety Week is an excellent time to introduce or reinvigorate law enforcement and public awareness efforts in your community.

Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have standard seat belt laws (also called "primary" laws), and NHTSA encourages other states to pass similar legislation. States with standard belt laws have seat belt use rates, on average, that are 17 percent higher than states with secondary laws. Does your state have standard enforcement?

Child safety seats have dramatically changed the transportation safety equation, saving more than 300 children under five years old every year. Public opinion has changed, as well, and most Americans support stricter law enforcement efforts to get both parents and children buckled up. Data show that when parents are buckled up, children are buckled up, too.