During Child Passenger Safety Week Sept. 17-23, police will be on the lookout for child restraint violators. The crackdown on violators is intended to encourage people to follow the law and reduce highway fatalities and injuries to children.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a leading cause of death for children in the United States is from car accidents. The CDC said that 663 children ages 12 years and younger died as occupants in motor vehicle crashes during 2015 and more than 121,350 were injured in 2014.The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety reports that in 2016, 18 children younger than 8 years old were killed and 47 suffered injuries as occupants in motor vehicle crashes in Missouri. Twenty-nine percent of the children killed were not properly restrained.While safety belts reduce risk for injury and death for adults in an accident, they are not designed to protect children because of their small size. Seatbelts and airbags can cause injuries to children.Chief Andrew T. Huston of the Truesdale Police Department said regular child safety seat and safety belt use is the single most effective way to reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.Children’s safety seats and booster seats save lives and are required by law. The products are made to protect children from impact and manufacturers recommend the products based on a child’s size, weight and age. Missouri law requires that children under the age of 8 are in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat until they are at least 80 pounds or at least 4 feet, 9-inches tall.Car seat safety