As a car accident can quickly claim the life of a fully grown adult, the dangers are even more present for those who are not yet able to help themselves. Child injuries and fatalities in car accidents are not uncommon, and while we cannot prevent reckless and negligent drivers on the road, we can do whatever is in our power to make sure our children are safe and secured when they are in the car with us. Namely, this means that as parents, it is our responsibility to provide with our kids the proper car seats for their age, height, weight and overall size in order to offer the maximum protection that is possible in the event of even the slightest car accident.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are a number of ways that we can help our kids, but the most crucial aspect that must be considered is their car seats. Today, there are so many varieties available out there for our kids to use, but it doesn't make all of them perfect for your little ones. This is a very big deal, and in the event that you are absolutely uncertain of what kind is best for your child, there are
certified child passenger safety technicians who are available through the government to help you make this important decision.
When trying to find the right car seat for your child, it is important that the seat meets the necessary requirements for their size. While many adults don't like to resort to instruction manuals in order to install something, we tend to just play around with it until our item works properly. When it comes to child car seats, do not let this be the case. For their safety, make sure you use the instructions given by the manufacturer in order to properly put together and install the seat into your car; remember this is what will protect the life of your beloved child! All children under the age of 12, whether in a car seat or not, need to be sitting in the backseat as well; the further they are away from the dashboard and windshield the better.
When your child is between the ages of birth to 12 months, you want to make sure that the car seat you are using is a rear facing one. So, as the driver if you were to look in your rear view mirror, your babies back would be to you. It depends on the seat that you purchase that will determine how long the infant will stay rear facing, as this is usually the safest for the child; there are some seats that have higher weight limits and therefore the kid can use it for longer than 1 year of age. For those kids between 1 and 3 years old, if they are able, have they stay in this rear facing seat for as long as they are able. Keep them using this until their height or weight exceeds the limit of the car seat. Once this happens, then they will be safe in a front-facing seat using a sturdy harness as their belt.
Once they reach the ages of 4 to 7 years old, you will want to play it by ear with their height and weight before moving them into a booster seat. As long as they can meet the requirements listed on the car seat with a harness, do so because they are safer than just using a booster. Once this happens, the booster seat can be used, though it must stay in the back seat. Lastly, between the ages of 8 and 12, keep them in their booster seat again until they exceed the limit; and they are able to be securely fastened in the car seatbelt. In order to know if they are ready for this, buckle them up and see how the belt wraps over their upper thighs, not their stomachs. If this is ok, then check their shoulders and see how the top part of the seat belt falls on them. Remember this needs to cover their shoulders, and if it over their neck or even face then they still need the booster seat.
Child safety is absolutely essential when driving a car, don't let their lives be placed at risk! In the event you are involved in a car accident caused by the negligent driving of another individual, contact a local car accident attorney in order to fight for compensation for your injuries.