Children Too Often Unrestrained in Vehicles

According to research released by the Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan, only one in three children between the ages of one and three years of age are typically positioned correctly in the backseat to minimize their chances of being injured or killed in a car accident. As reported by Medical Daily, the research revealed that parents are frequently not living up to their duty to keep their children safe in this regard and the consequences are high.

Car Wrecks Can Be Fatal for Kids

For children between the ages of 1 and 12, the leading cause of death is being killed in a car accident. Car accidents also result in 140,000 nonfatal hospital visits every single year, according to the article. Using a child restraint seat properly can greatly reduce the chances that a child will be hurt or killed in any collision or other accident.
One of the interesting things that the study found was that children whose parents don’t use their restraining devices properly in their vehicles are more likely to not be given proper safety equipment themselves. To be fair to parents, there have been many different recommendations that have become standard only in recent times. For example, today, auto safety experts recommend that children ride in the backseat until they are about 13 years of age. The height and weight of the child determines when he or she is ready to sit up front safely. Of course, anybody old enough to have children probably remembers riding in the front seat for most of their childhood.

Child Car Seats

The seats designed for children are generally very durable, easy to use and can be purchased in increasing sizes as the child grows. Safety experts recommend that parents continue to use a five point seat restraint for as long as possible and then switch over to a booster seat until the child grows into a regular seat.
There are other factors that sometimes play a part in children becoming injured or killed in car crashes. For example, a child may suffer a defective seat belt injury because of a faulty car seat or they may end up being injured because their parent did not place the car seat in the car properly. It’s important to make certain that you are following the directions that apply to your child safety system whenever you get on the road.
If your child was injured because a car safety product happen to be defective, talking to a product liability lawyer may provide you with a way to get compensation for your child and to get them the best treatment for their injuries.