Child Safety Restraints Save Lives

  • Post category:March 2013

Child Safety Restraints Save Lives

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Wright & Schulte LLC want to make parents aware of the significant impact child safety restraints, such as, child safety seats, booster seats, and seat belts have on the lives of our children.

Child-Saftey-Restraints-Ohio-Auto-Accident-Attorney-Wright-Schulte-LLC

Unfortunately, injuries caused in auto accidents remain the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 5 and 19. In fact, in 2009 alone 179,000 children were injured in car accidents and 1,314 more were killed. Of those children that died in car accidents, 46 percent were not utilizing child safety restraints.

A yearlong study by the CDC found that 618,000 children between the ages of 1 and 12 were not restrained in booster seats, child safety seats, or seat belts at least some of the time when riding in a vehicle. Another study found that 72 percent of car and booster seats were not used correctly and actually increased the risks of injury to the child during a car accident. (http://www.cdc.gov/motorvehiclesafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html)

Appropriate Child Car Restraints

Thankfully, there are specific steps parents can take to protect their children from serious injury and death during car accidents. The most significant step is to use the appropriate child safety restraints.

  • From birth to age 2, children should be placed in rear-facing safety seats, and buckled with a seat harness in the back seat of the vehicle.
  • Ages 2 to 4 up to 40 lbs – Once a child reaches the height and weight limits for rear facing child seats, they should be harnessed into the back seat of the vehicle in front-facing child safety seats.
  • Age 4 to 8 or until 4’9” tall – After a child outgrows their forward facing child seat, they can be moved to booster seats secured in the back seat of the vehicle.
  • Age 8 and over 4’9” tall – Once a child has grown to more than 4’9” tall, adult seat belts should fit them properly, and they can simply be restrained in the vehicle like adult passengers. Take care that the lap belt lays across their thighs not their stomach, and that the shoulder harness fits across the chest and not the neck.

Remember, that even though a child might be big enough to wear adult seat belts, they should ride in the back seat of the vehicle for the greatest safety. Front seat air bags can be deadly to children under the age of 13. (http://www.cdc.gov/SafeChild/Road_Traffic_Injuries/)

About Wright & Schulte LLC

As an experienced Ohio auto accident and personal injury lawyers, Wright & Schulte LLC handles cases on behalf of injured clients in the areas of motorcycle/bus/truck/automobile accidents, personal injury, product liability, wrongful death, medical malpractice, and nursing home abuse. The attorneys and staff at Wright & Schulte LLC are committed to upholding the standards of excellence set by its founding partner in representing all of their clients. Wright & Schulte LLC’s team of experienced Ohio accident lawyers continually fight for justice for their Ohio clients. If you have been injured in an Ohio bus/car/truck accident, call the experienced accident lawyers at Ohio’s full-service law firm “Wright & Schulte LLC” today at 937-222-7477.

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