The Correct Restraint System Can Save Your Child’s Life
Some parents might celebrate moving their child from a car seat to a booster seat and from a booster seat to a regular sea belt. After all, it is a big step for most kids. Parents should not be in any kind of hurry to do so because every time you “graduate” them to the next seat in the family vehicle, they lose a level of protection. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children aged 12 years and younger. Knowing how your kids should be restrained in a vehicle could help keep them safe.
The CDC reports that child safety seats saved the lives of 263 children aged 4-years-old and younger, and reduce the risk of death in a car crash by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for toddlers ages 1 to 4. All children aged 12 years and younger should always be buckled in a seat belt in the back seat. Riding in the front seat puts them at risk of death from the airbag should it deploy in an accident.
When is it safe for a child to “graduate” from a booster seat to a seat belt alone?
The CDC has a visual chart that shows what kind of safety seat a child should be restrained in according to their age, height and weight. According to this chart, a child can be safely restrained in a seat belt once the seat belt fits properly. This means that the lap belt lays across the upper thighs (not across the stomach) and the shoulder belt lays across the chest (not the neck).
The recommended age ranges are just a recommendation and what is appropriate will vary for each child. Refer to the manual or safety guide that comes with the child safety seat to make sure that you are installing it properly. The D.C. Department of Transportation holds safety clinics where they have staff people on hand to help parents learn the proper way to install their child’s safety seat, and the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles has Child Safety seat fitting & inspection stations in various locations. You can get your child’s safety seat inspected, find out about recalls and the proper installation and use of your child’s car seat.
Do not be in such a hurry to move your child from their booster to a seat belt. The longer they are restrained in the booster seat, the longer they will enjoy that additional layer of protection in the event of a crash.
For more than 40 years, Barry J. Nace has worked to protect the rights of victims of medical malpractice and other personal injuries. Throughout his career, he has proven that multimillion-dollar awards are not a matter of luck, but the result of experience, hard work, outstanding trial skills, and an unquestioned dedication to justice. To date, Mr. Nace has produced dozens of verdicts and settlements in excess of $1 million with three in excess of $30 million. Read more about Barry J. Nace.