Child Vehicle Safety Tips

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

Whether you have children of your own, babysit regularly, or are simply watching a neighbor’s child for a few hours, if you are transporting a child in your personal vehicle, car accident and injury prevention efforts are more important than ever. One of many studies from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered that more than 618,000 children - newborns to age 12 - rode in vehicles without the use of a car seat or safety restraint most of the time, over the course of a single year. In the year 2014 alone, another study revealed that over 600 children, all 12 years old or younger, died as occupants in motor vehicles, while more than 120,000 were injured due to the same factors. Any parent or caregiver driving a child around in their car should be aware of the following before getting behind the wheel: 1. The Illinois “Child Passenger Protection Act” sets the standard for safety and accountability. Illinois law states that any person driving a child under the age of 8 is responsible for ensuring the child is secured in the proper restraint system. This means using an appropriate booster seat, and using a proper seat belt for children over the age of 8 but under the age of 16. Educate yourself about the various age stages and the restraint requirements for each. For example, newborn babies and children up to 2 years old must be transported in rear-facing car seats, while children up to 5 years old must be in forward-facing car seats.

2. Car seat and booster seat placement is everything.

It is not enough to just provide a car or booster seat for the child passenger in your car. Seat placement is critical, as it significantly affects the child’s chances of being seriously hurt in the event of a crash. Never place a child in front of an airbag, as airbags cause child fatalities in the front seat, and whenever possible, place children in the middle of the backseat. The middle section of the backseat is the safest part of the vehicle. Also, as a general rule of thumb, all children aged 12 and under should be buckled into the backseat, not the front. If you are uncertain how to properly install or use a car or booster seat, refer to the owner’s manual or request help from a certified child passenger safety technician.

3. Booster seats reduce the risk of serious injury by 45 percent.

When it comes to protecting children between the ages of 4 and 8, booster seats are proven to reduce the risk of serious injury by 45 percent when compared with seat belt use alone. Boosters are designed to act as a transitional restraint system for kids who have outgrown car seats but are not yet big enough to properly wear a regular seat belt. No matter how young the child you are transporting, leading by example is key to establishing ongoing car accident and injury prevention habits. The earlier you introduce and enforce these habits behind the wheel, the better your chances of protecting the little one in your backseat now, and in the future.

If you and the child in your care have experienced an auto collision of any kind, be sure to contact a skilled Lake County car accident attorney right away, who can inform you of your of your rights in a court of law. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Call Salvi & Maher, LLP at 847-662-3303 for a personal consultation.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/child_passenger_safety/

http://www.isp.state.il.us/safety/restraints.cfm