Car, Driveway & On-the-Go
The right seat, the back-seat check, and a locked parked car prevent the three most serious vehicle risks for young kids. Here's the short list to get all three right.
The 5-minute fixes
- If you see a child alone in a locked car, call 911 right away; NHTSA says a child in distress from the heat should be removed from the car as quickly as possible and cooled fast. Hot Cars & Heatstroke
- This one is about using the seat right, not about shopping. Car Seat Fit, Install & Use
- NHTSA: never leave a child alone in or around a vehicle, because curious children soon play in one, and a trunk can heat up fast with the risk of heatstroke or asphyxiation. Trunk Entrapment & Kids Playing in Parked Cars
Start here
NHTSA: 31 children died of heatstroke in vehicles in 2025
NHTSA, "Prevent Hot Car Deaths" campaign page (nhtsa.gov/campaign/heatstroke), read November 2026.
A seat you installed yourself and no technician has checked; a child turned forward-facing or moved to a booster before reaching the seat's rear-facing or harness limit; a seat installed with both the belt and the lower anchors at once; a forward-facing seat with the tether unused; a used seat with no known history, or one that has been in a crash that you haven't checked against NHTSA's guidance; a seat that was never registered.
Keys or a fob left where a toddler can reach them; an unlocked car in the driveway; a rear seat that folds forward into the trunk; hide-and-seek around the vehicle; a car older than about 2002 with no inside trunk release.
Next up
A child standing on the door armrest or kneeling by the window switch; a child in the back seat with a free hand and no buckle; a car left running or with the key in 'on' or 'accessory' while you step out; an older car whose window switches a child could step or lean on.
A push-button-start car you shut off without shifting into Park; a car left running or with keys inside while you unload; a child who can climb into the driver's seat; a habit of skipping the parking brake.
When you have a minute
An unused seat belt a child can reach and pull all the way out; a child allowed to lie down or sleep on the seat instead of being buckled; a child playing with the belts in a parked car.
Shop safer for this room
Our reviewed picks for the products that live here. Each one links to its category page, not to a store.