National Child Passenger Safety week kicks off Sunday trying to bring awareness to the importance of buckling children up in appropriate child restraints.

The campaign runs from Sept. 13 to 19. Motorists could see increased enforcement of Missouri’s child seat safety laws during the campaign.

According to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety in 2014, seventeen children less than eight years of age were killed and 86 suffered injuries as occupants in motor vehicle crashes in Missouri. Thirty-one percent of the children killed were not restrained in a car seat or safety belt.

Missouri law requires all children under eight to be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat, unless:

• They are at least 80 pounds.

• They are at least 4’9″ tall.

“All parents and caregivers need to understand the importance of booster seats. It’s not just about following the law – booster seats help prevent serious injury and may even save your child’s life,” said Bill Whitfield, chair of the executive committee for the coalition.

Serious injuries can result from improperly fitted safety belts, particularly for children ages four through seven who are secured only in a regular safety belt during a crash. These injuries are commonly known as “seat belt syndrome,” which are often life-threatening or disabling injuries. Booster seats help prevent this syndrome from occurring by raising the child up so the lap and shoulder belt fits them properly.

Parents and caregivers are urged to get their child safety seats inspected by certified technicians.