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Buckling Up Our Children: The Statistics

BIKLaw Medical Malpractice Lawyer > Car Accident > Buckling Up Our Children: The Statistics

As parents our children are so precious to us. We want only the very best for them, and try our best to protect them. However, accidents are often unpredictable, and if an accident does happen, the best way to protect our children is to make sure they are properly buckled up while riding in our vehicles.

Despite our best intentions, this doesn’t always happen. Maybe your child is being difficult, and you’re just planning on going around the corner to buy a bag of milk. You’ll only be in the car for a few minutes. At times like this, the temptation may be strong to let your child ride unbuckled for what will only be a two or three minute ride. Or perhaps you’ve just installed a new car seat, and you haven’t had the time yet to read all the instructions to make sure you know how to properly buckle your child in, but there’s somewhere you need to be and your child looks safe enough sitting in the new car seat.

It’s best not to give in to such temptations. According to child passenger safety statistics published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s important to always ensure that your child is properly buckled into a size- and age-appropriate car seats or seat belts.

In passenger vehicles, the use of a proper car seat for infants (children less than the age of one) reduces the risk of death by 71 percent, and for toddlers (children between the ages of one and four years), a proper car seat while riding in a passenger vehicle reduces the risk of death by 54 percent.

For older children – between the ages of four and eight – the proper use of a booster seat reduces the risk of death by 54 percent, compared to buckling in such children using just a seat belt alone. Once children outgrow booster seats, the use of a seat belt reduces the risk of death by 50 percent. Note that a child should only use a seat belt without a booster seat if the seat belt fits him or her properly – that is, the lap belt lays across the upper thighs rather than the stomach, and the shoulder belt lays across the chest rather than the neck.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Los Angeles motor vehicle accident, Bradley I. Kramer and his experienced legal team are here to help you obtain the compensation to which you are entitled. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.

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