National Child Passenger Safety Week

Child Passenger Safety

September 13-19 is National Child Passenger Safety Week. We can all agree that we want children to be safe while riding in a car. But did you know that seven out of 10 children are not properly restrained by their car seat?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2013, 638 children under the age of 13 were killed and 127,250 were injured in motor vehicle crashes. A number of these deaths and injuries could have been prevented had proper child passenger safety guidelines been followed. The risk of death and injury is greatly reduced when children are properly fastened in the car. In fact, correct car seat use in passenger vehicles reduces the risk of death to infants by 71% and toddlers by 54%. The risk of serious injury to children ages 4-8 is reduced by 45% when the child is seated in a booster seat compared to seat belt use alone. Even when the child outgrows car seats and booster seats, seat belt usage is still crucial as it can reduce the risk of death and serious injury by about 50%.

At Kane & Silverman, we want you and your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to be as safe as possible when in a car. But with so many different types of car seats, it can be confusing to find the right one for your child. Luckily, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has put together helpful guidelines for finding, installing, and registering the appropriate car seat. Visit their site at safercar.gov for more information.

Child Passenger Safety Tips

• Make sure you are using the proper car seat for the child’s age, weight, and height using the car seat finder
• Use a rear-facing car seat until the child is around age 2 or reaches the highest height/weight requirements for a rear-facing seat
• Always keep children seated in the back seat
• Read the car seat instructions and the vehicle owner’s manual for information on how to install the car seat
• Check to make sure the seat is installed properly by shaking it at the base- it should not move more than one inch
• Make sure the harness is tightly buckled around the child
• When the child outgrows safety seats, make sure he or she still wear a seat belt
• Register the seat to receive important news such as recalls

Registering your child’s seat will alert you of news that could save your child’s life. While over six million car seats were recalled for safety issues in 2014, less than half of them were fixed. If you find out that your child’s car seat is defective, it is crucial to get it repaired. We encourage you to register your seat and take precautions to reduce the risk of your child being seriously hurt or killed in a car accident.

Concerned About Child Safety

We believe in protecting children from as much danger as possible. Children are such a precious resource. Additionally, we’ve written other articles about child safety and protection. Our firm also donates to the Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia to support their mission to save and improve the lives of children.

Child Injury Attorneys in PA and NJ

In the unfortunate event that your child was injured or killed in a car crash, we can help. If your child was properly restrained in their car seat but was seriously hurt or killed in an accident and you believe that the car seat was defective, you may have a case. When you need a product liability lawyer or a car accident lawyer in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, contact the attorneys at Kane & Silverman for an evaluation of your claim. We can help. That’s what we do.