With lots of Americans planning to hit the roads for summer vacation plans, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is reminding travelers that car crashes are the number one killer of children ages 1 to 12?

“I’m sad to say that, on average, 2 children are killed and 325 more are injured in car crashes every single day,” said NTSB Chairman Debbie Hersman in her agency’s Safety Compass blog. “With this in mind, it’s essential that children be properly restrained on every trip.”

 Children should ride in an age and size appropriate child safety seat or booster seat until an adult seat belt fits them properly – at 4’9” tall. Further, all children should ride in the back seat.

Earlier this month, Arizona became the 48th state to require the use of child restraints for older children. Children riding on Arizona’s roads will be safer now that this life-saving law has been enacted.

“Only two states — Florida and South Dakota — have yet to bring their child restraint laws closer in line with best practices,” writes Hersman. “But parents – don’t wait for a law to make the right choice. Use a child safety seat or booster seat until your child is big enough for a seat belt.”

For more information on how to best restrain your children visit Parents Central. (www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats.htm).