We all know that getting our kids to listen can be a challenge.  There are times you lose the battle, but as long as you win the war, right?  One of the battles you really can’t afford to lose is the battle to buckle up.  Not only is it a lifesaver in a car crash, but it will keep them safe in all those little “road skirmishes” most of us deal with on a regular basis.  Kids who buckle up as soon as they get in the car, every time, will develop that habit, and it will be one that they won’t break as they get older and start driving on their own- so start young, and never let that one go.

Parenting a tween involves compromise. But here’s one rule that should not be up for debate – the car doesn’t move until everyone is wearing a seat belt. If you say it, and if parents buckle up themselves, your tween will buckle up. And if they don’t, that’s a fight worth having. It might just save your tween’s life.

Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children age 1 to 14 in the USA?  Over the past 5 years, 1,522 kids ages 8-14 died in car, SUV and van crashes. Of those who died, almost half were unbelted.  As children get older they’re less likely to buckle up. The percentage of child passengers who die while riding unrestrained generally increases with age and is most pronounced among 13 and 14-year-olds regardless of seating position.
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