Preventing Injuries to Children in Car Accidents

Preventing Injuries to Children in Car Accidents

Although automobile accidents are acknowledged as a leading cause of injury and death in the United States, this is unfortunately more common for children. Car accidents are the third leading cause of death for kids ages 10-14 and the fourth leading cause of death for children ages 5-9. How can you help prevent tragic injuries from harming your children? Read below for some suggestions about how to maintain child safety in your vehicle. 

  • Car seat installation: in order to ensure that your child’s car seat is properly secured in your vehicle, follow the instructions listed on the car seat. To help prevent simple injuries from occurring due to an unstable car seat, double check the safety of the seat and if the implementation was done correctly. 
  • Rear-facing car seats: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible, even if the children have surpassed weight and height requirements. After infants and toddlers reach the limit, the car seat can be switched to be forward-facing. In addition, once the three-point harness becomes too small for your child, you should use booster seats. Don’t dictate your child’s seating simply by their age; be cautious and do what seems right and makes you most comfortable.
  • Children 12 and under: If your child is twelve years of age or younger, they should be sitting in the back seat. In fact, it’s never bad to take precautions and prohibit your child from sitting in the passenger seat until past the age of 12. In the event of a car crash, airbags are deployed in the front seat. These can be extremely harmful, especially to younger and smaller people — this means your children! Require your children to sit in the back until they are big and strong enough to safely sit in the front. 
  • Child Injuries: In the worst case scenario, your child may become injured during a car crash. Due to their body size, child injuries can differ substantially from injuries to adults. For instance, head trauma and chest and rib injuries may be more common among children than adults. Children have less space between the organs in their bodies, making it easier for a lung or artery to be punctured during automobile accidents. Additionally, kids may experience whiplash even at slow speeds, causing damage to their brains. Be aware of potential injuries, even if symptoms aren’t obvious. 

Because children are more subject to injury in a car crash than adults, it’s critical to minimize the potential for harm by taking these precautionary steps. If you or someone you know has been in a car accident, check out our website at https://nelsonpersonalinjury.com/ for a free case evaluation. We want to help you get the money you deserve.