Since we’re all about having fun this summer and staying safe, we want you to make sure your kids are staying safe too, even in the car. If you have a little one riding with you, please make sure you have them properly strapped in before you begin your travels.

In recent studies, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 6 – 14. Sadly, 56 percent of children killed in traffic crashes weren’t properly restrained, or were completely unrestrained. We know that half of all child car seats are used incorrectly without parents knowing it. Proper installation and use of child car seats will help significantly reduce the number of children killed in traffic crashes. Here are some tips brought to you by Nationwide Insurance®…

• Read your vehicle owner’s manual and the child car seat instructions.
• Door-mounted seat belts should be avoided. Your auto dealer can install a special lap belt to keep the child car seat in place.
• Infants should ride in a rear-facing infant-only safety seat.
• At around 40 lbs., children should ride in booster seats until they fit in an adult seat belt, at about 80 lbs.
• Children should always ride in the back seat, especially in cars with air bags. The back seat is safer because head-on collisions are the most common kind.
• When children outgrow safety seats, they must wear their lap and shoulder belt. There must be one belt for each person; buckling two people in one belt, even children, could injure both.

Parents should have their child car seats inspected by a trained technician. For a location near you, visit NHTSA’s Web site at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/CPSFitting/Index.cfm

Have a safe drive with your kids, whether it is to the store or down the shore..

Finding ways to save time, money, and energy is appealing to many who commute to and from the workplace every day.

The Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) offers a website to promote transporta­tion alternatives for commuters. At www.commuterchoice.com, the ACT details financial and other benefits of options such as carpooling, vanpooling, public transportation, and walking.

Information on local resources in 17 major cities across the U.S. is also available.