A child’s safety is one of the most important things parents, guardians, teachers and others worry about. Keeping a child safe in a vehicle means remembering to fasten seat belts, using restraints correctly and using the right car seats. Failing to do this can lead to a child’s serious injuries if an accident takes place or if the car has to stop quickly.
The number of children under the age of 13 involved in motor vehicle crashes has been declining since 1975. Unfortunately, these crashes still lead to one in four unintentional injury deaths for that age group. Of course, in most situations, these children are passengers in a moving vehicle. It’s believed that by placing children in rear seats and using the proper restraints could reduce the risk of fatal injuries by three quarters for those 3 or younger and by around half for those between 4 and 8? Why the difference? Children younger than 3 tend to be in rear-facing car seats, which have extremely good restraint systems and compartmentalization to protect them from impacts.
In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, there are child restrain laws. The problem with some situations is that even though there are laws, particularly those between 4 and 8 are riding without being buckled in. All states except for the capitol, Oklahoma and Mississippi require that children under 13 sit in the rear of the vehicle and are restrained. If your child is hurt because a babysitter or other person watching him or her doesn’t restrain him or her correctly, that’s when you could be in a position to file a claim.
Source: Insurance Information Institute, “Child Safety,” accessed July 26, 2016
