Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog
Car accidents continue to be the number one cause of death for children under the age of 13. Oftentimes fatalities and injuries can be prevented if parents and caregivers properly use car seats, booster seats and seat belts. For the entire week, September 15th to 21st, officials around the country will be promoting Child Passenger Safety Week, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). This week-long enforcement effort is to help educate parents and guardians about the importance of properly buckling in young passengers. It’s a move that can save lives.
According to Consumer Reports, about 75 percent of parents and caregivers don’t properly use child restraints. The truth of the matter is that child safety seats reduce the risks of death by more than 70 percent for infants and close to 60 percent for children under the age of 4.
Our Boynton Beach car accident lawyers understand that properly used child restraints saved more than 260 child lives (under the age of 5) in the U.S. in 2011. Experts say you need to make sure you buy the right size car seat for your child. Do you know the right seat for your child?
From 1975 through 2011, we estimate that approximately 10,000 lives were saved by car seats for children under the age of 5 in passenger vehicles, with more than 260 lives saved in 2011 alone.
Read, review and practice the following car seat recommendations from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to help to keep your child safe during each and every car ride:
-Under 1 year: Keep these children in a rear-facing car seat.
-1 to 3: You should always keep your children in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible. Once they reach the height and weight limitations for their car seat, you can switch them to a front-facing car seat with a harness.
-4 to 7: You should keep your child in a forward-facing car seat for as long as possible, but when they outgrow their seat it’s time to put them in a booster seat — but still keep them in the back seat.
-8 to 12: Try to keep your child in a booster seat for as long as possible. Once they outgrow this seat, and they’re big enough to fit an adult seat belt, allow them to move. For a seat belt to fit properly, the lap portion should lie snugly across the upper thigh and not the stomach. The shoulder part should lie snugly across the chest and not the neck or the face.
Knowing these four simple stages can help to save your child’s life. Accidents happen. Be ready when they do.
If you’re not sure if you’ve got the right car seat, or if you’re not sure that it’s properly installed, you can stop by one of the Car Seat Inspection Locations in Florida.
If you or your teen has been injured, contact Freeman Injury Law at 1-800-561-7777 for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights.
More Blog Entries:
South Florida Ranks Poorly in Allstate’s “America’s Best Drivers Report”, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, September 12, 2013
Teenagers and the Pressures of Underage Drinking, Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Attorney Blog, August 29, 2013