|
Children and Auto Fatalities The answer might surprise you. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motor vehicle accidents are “the leading cause of death for children age 3 to 6 and 8 to 14. In 2007, 6,532 passenger vehicle occupants 14 and younger were involved in fatal crashes.” (www.nhtsa.gov). The reason for the high number of child fatalities may not surprise you, however - improperly fastened, secured, or positioned child safety seats. Parents should match the right car seat with the right age, height, and weight of their child. Before the advent of passenger and side impact air bags in the 1990’s, it was common to see children in safety seats in the front passenger seat. However, as passenger seat air bag fatalities increased, so too did the importance of securing all child safety seats in the rear seat of the vehicle. While it would seem a matter of common sense, the importance of choosing the type of seat, and where and how to position the seat, cannot be emphasized enough.
So, what can you do? Clearly, we all know that a child should be placed in some form of car safety seat. This should be done from the time the child is born until they are eight years old. When the child is eight, they should be large enough to use a conventional seat belt. All child safety seats should be placed in the rear seat of the vehicle, never in the front. The reason, of course, is the high risk of injury or fatality resulting from the force of a deploying passenger seat airbag. It is the type and positioning of the seat that you need to know. From birth until around 1 year old, the child should be placed in a rear facing infant car seat. This will reduce the risk for serious neck and head injuries in a collision. From one until age four, children should be fastened into a forward-facing safety seat, until they reach the height or weight limit of the seat. Booster seats should be utilized from age four until age eight, or until the regular seat belt in the vehicle can comfortably fit the child. After age eight, or when the child reaches a height of 4’9’’ or taller, the regular seat belt or safety harness in the vehicle can be used. Normally, if the shoulder harness reaches across the child’s chest, and the lap belt rests on the child’s thighs, the belt is considered to fit properly. Read all instruction and safety manuals before using any safety seat. However, even if you have done all you can do to make sure your child is properly and securely fastened is in a safety seat, your child could still be at risk. Why? Defective and improperly inspected child safety seats will sometimes find their way into the marketplace. This is where we can help. Often times, car safety seats are manufactured overseas in countries that do not employ the same safety standards as we do in the United States. As new designs are constantly being introduced, improper testing and inspection can sometimes be to blame. Regardless of whether the blame lies with the manufacturer, the retailer, or anyone else involved in the manufacture or distribution of the seats; if your child was injured in any accident caused by a defective seat, we are here to help!
As a board certified criminal lawyer, I represents clients charged
with serious federal and state criminal offenses, like felonies and
DUI, before federal criminal courts and state criminal courts in
West Palm Beach, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Jupiter, Boca
Raton, Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, Stuart, Martin County, Fort
Pierce, Port St. Lucie, Vero Beach, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando,
Tallahassee, Key Largo, Key West, and all state criminal courts in
Florida and all federal criminal courts throughout the United States
of America. |
|
