Every single hour, nearly 150 children between the ages of 0 and 19 are given emergency treatment for injuries sustained in motor vehicle crashes.
According to the CDC, more children aged 5-19 die from crash-related injuries than from any other type of injury.
But there are ways to keep children safe and secure in the car. Below are a few useful tips with this aim in mind.
Improving car safety
Sometimes there is nothing that can be done to prevent an accident, no matter how careful a driver you are.
If you were involved in a car accident that was not your fault, and there is evidence of negligence or that the blame lies elsewhere, you can pursue a personal injury claim.
In the interest of keeping communities and Britain’s roads as safe as possible, here are a few tips on child car safety.
Find the right car seat
Children must use a car seat until they are 12 years old or 135cm tall. The type of car seat they need depends on their weight: babies up to 13kg need rear-facing baby seats, children between 9 and 18kg can use forward or rear-facing baby seats, children between 15 and 25kg need forward-facing child car seats (booster seats) and children over 22kg should use booster cushions.
Look for car seats with a seat belt that has a diagonal strap and a label showing a capital ‘E’ in a circle, which indicates that the product is EU-approved. Remember to deactivate any front airbags prior to fitting a rear-facing baby seat in the passenger seat.
Encourage responsible behaviour
For older children, you should encourage them to wear their seat belts on every single journey, even if you are just going two minutes down the road. Check that they are wearing their seat belt before you set off and that it remains on for the duration of the trip.
If you are transporting a number of children, encourage sensible behaviour or give them something such as a book or gadget that will keep them quiet. Tantrums and arguments stemming from boredom or irritation can be very distracting for the driver.