Car collisions are one of the leading causes of death among children in the United States. In the year 2017, every 32 seconds, one child under the age of 13 was killed in a vehicle collision. Use of proper car seats, booster seats, and wearing seat belts can to a large extent eliminate these preventable tragedies.
September 15-21 is being observed as Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week. It aims to raise awareness about child passenger safety laws. The car accident attorneys in Baton Rouge at the Law Offices of L. Clayton Burgess have, therefore listed 5 tips to guarantee the safety of children traveling in cars. Let’s take a look:
- Adequate installation of car seat is essential: The installation process of every car seat is different. You may either choose to install the seat by using the car’s seat belt or the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children). If there’s any doubt, it’s better to get in touch with a professional child passenger safety technician.
- Make use of rear-facing seats: Ideally,infants and toddlers should be placed in a rear-facing seat, till the time they have reached the height and weight recommended by the manufacturer of the car seat.
- Children should be restrained in the back seat: The safest place for children under the age of 13 is the back seat of the car, safely buckled up in a booster seat. Once children outgrow the booster seats, make them use both the lap and shoulder belts for maximum protection.
- Use seat belts: If your child complains about wearing seat belts, do not negotiate. Make sure that you do not drive until they are safely buckled up. Also, ensure that you are consistent in wearing your own seat belt. Usually, the driver wearing a seat belt influences whether the child will buckle up.
- Airbags can be fatal: Airbags can indeed save the lives of older children and adults. However, they can be deadly for toddlers who are not seated correctly, particularly in the front seat. Therefore, it’s never advisable to place a child in the front seat, close to an airbag.
Following the five tips mentioned above, will ensure that you’ve adhered to every car seat law. Most importantly, you will feel reassured that you’re adopting all possible means to ensure the safety of your child. Our veteran car accident attorneys in Baton Rouge at the Law Offices of L. Clayton Burgess, advise caregivers to take a proper look at their child’s seat. The compassionate auto accident attorneys in Baton Rouge completely understand that there’s nothing worse than seeing your child get injured. Therefore, adopting all the necessary precautionary measures is essential. For any legal assistance, do not hesitate to reach out to our competent, compassionate, and professional auto accident attorneys in Baton Rouge.
