Road Safety

Injury Prevention works to increase safety on the roads, reducing risk and severity of injuries. MTC contributes by working to minimize crashes, protect vulnerable road users, educating on safe behaviors and vehicle safety, and improve emergency response.

Child Passenger Safety

One important way you can reduce your child’s risk of injury and death in a car crash is by making sure they are properly restrained.

Michigan Child Restraint Laws

- - Infant to two years: A child must be in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or height allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer or the child is 2 years old.
  - Two to five years: The child can then move into a forward-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or height allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer or the child is 5 years old.
  - Five to eight years: The child can then move to a belt-positioning booster seat using a lap and shoulder belt until they are 4’ 9” or 8 years old.
  - All children under thirteen years: Children under the age of 13 must ride in the rear seat of a vehicle if the vehicle has one available

Find the correct car seat and fit for your child:

https://events.safekids.org/inspection-stations

https://www.nhtsa.gov/campaign/right-seat

Teen Drivers

Car crashes are a major cause of injury for teens. One way we can decrease these injuries is through Graduated Drivers Licensing.

Here are some other resources on how you can protect your teen driver:

Teen Driver Parental Toolkit

Checkpoints – Help your teen become a safe, independent driver

Teen Drivers | Safe Kids Worldwide

Older Adult Drivers

Safe driving is important to maintaining independence in the older adult.

CarFit

CarFit is an educational program that offers older adults the opportunity to check how well their personal vehicles “fit” them. The CarFit program also provides information and materials on community-specific resources that could enhance their safety as drivers, and/or increase their mobility in the community.

At a CarFit event, a team of trained technicians and/or health professionals work with each participant to ensure they “fit” their vehicle properly for maximum comfort and safety. Click here for a link to CarFit events offered around the country.

Can’t find a course near you? Email Michigan Trauma Coalition.

Here are some other resources for older drivers and their families:

Aging Driver

Home – Plan For the Road Ahead

AARP Driver Safety: Online and Classroom Courses

Other Safe Driving Resources

NHTSA | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center

Office of Highway Safety Planning

Traffic Safety – Related FAQs

What are MTC Members doing?

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Trinity Health Oakland hosted a car event at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. The day before, we held an event coordinator training with 12 participants.

During the car event on Thursday, the new event coordinators had a chance to practice their skills. We also were able to help seniors with their driving mobility in and around the vehicle! Some of them had purchased a new vehicle so recently that the sales sticker was still in the car! I believe they drove straight from the dealership! Please find the photos attached.

The participating organizations were:

Trinity Health Oakland

Henry Ford West Bloomfield

Henry Ford Providence Novi

Corwell Farmington Hills

Henry Ford Rochester

Henry Ford St. John

This was sponsored by the CARFIT Growth Grant