Dear family travelers:  

Is your child's car seat properly installed? If you answered "of course," you probably are wrong.  

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vast majority are not.

Most parents don't even use safety seats on airplanes for their babies and toddlers though their use has been proven to save lives and significantly reduce injuries, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, and despite recommendations from everyone from the American Academy of Pediatrics to the FAA and NTSB. See what the FAA says ; here's what I wrote about the subject.

Young children have survived plane crashes because they were restrained in safety seats and died when the parent holding them survived. There is also a real danger of a child flying out of a parent's arms in times of severe turbulence and being injured, the NTSB reports.

Yes, it means you have to purchase a seat for your baby when they could fly free (until age two) but isn't your child's safety worth it?

Yes you should take the time to make sure your safety seat is properly installed in your car. Most parents also are not aware that car seat installation help is readily available free-of-charge in most communities.  Technicians and instructors certified by the National Child Passenger Safety Certification Training Program can be identified through the NHTSA inspection station locator on its Website.

It's not too late to book a Fall Getaway

Many local fire departments and police departments also offer inspections, or can direct consumers to a certified technician.

Yes you should continue to use appropriate safety seats when the kids are older too. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer's height and weight requirements.

Keep your kids in booster seats until they are old enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. Government officials say. The

Hope to see you there!

shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the n

eck or face. Remember: your child should

still ride in the back seat because it's safer there. They should ride in the back until they are at least 12.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a new website to keep kids safe around cars.

Also on TAKING THE KIDS:   

And from our partners Traveling Mom and Family Travel Network