It’s National Child Passenger Safety Week again. This is a very important topic, and I want to share this information with my readers, loved ones and Michigan drivers.
As a Michigan personal injury lawyer, I’ve handled auto accident lawsuits involving children who were seriously injured or killed because their car seats weren’t properly installed. Some of these young children still have very serious disabilities many years later and their young lives will never been the same.
Consider the following:
• Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children from 3 to 14 years old (U.S. Department of Transportation).
• An estimated 8,959 lives were saved by child restraints from 1975 to 2008 (U.S. Department of Transportation).
• You can register your child car seat and receive notifications of defects and recalls. Find out how on Safercar.gov.
Parents and caregivers are urged to have their children’s car seats checked on National Seat Check this Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011. As part of National Child Passenger Safety Week, certified child passenger safety technicians will be available to inspect car seats and provide hands-on advice, free of charge.
Here’s a child car seat inspection station locator, where you can search by state and zip code for the inspection station nearest you.
Below are safety tips for protecting babies and kids in the car. These safety tips can help prevent car accident injuries and can save lives.
1. Infants (under the age of 1 and less than 20 lbs): Secure your infant in a rear-facing car seat in your vehicle’s back seat. Deactivate the front passenger airbag if a rear-facing car seat must be secured in your front seat.
2. Toddlers (1 year or older and 20 lbs or more): Secure your tots in a forward-facing car seat in your vehicle’s back seat.
3. Children (4 to 7 years old and under 4 foot 9 inches in height): Secure children in a booster seat in the back seat.
4. Children (12 years old and younger): Secure all children in the rear-seat of your vehicle to avoid potential injury from a deployed airbag, should a car accident occur.
Remember to follow your car seat manufacturer’s instructions and your vehicle owner’s manual on how to install your child’s car seat or booster seat.
For more child safety tips and Michigan resources for your kids, you can order a free copy of my book, How to Keep Your Children Safe – Simple Steps to Protect Your Loved Ones From Hidden Dangers.
- Steve Gursten is one of the nation’s top personal injury lawyers handling auto accident lawsuits. He is head of Michigan Auto Law and has received the highest verdict in the state for a car accident or truck accident victim in 2008, 2009 and 2010, according to Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
- Photo courtesy of Creative Commons, by Chris and Kris
Related information to protect yourself:
Protecting children in car accidents - New advice on car seats
14 tips for protecting your kids in the car
10 things to know if you’ve been injured in a Michigan car accident
Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our Michigan personal injury lawyers.
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