4 Facts Parents Should Know about Car Safety for Kids

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Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death amongst children. The more you know about car safety for kids, the more capable you’ll be of preempting disaster. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) 2013 fact sheet, Traffic Safety Facts: Children provides ample statistics and facts that parents might like to know. Below we touch on some of the highlights of the report.

Fact #1: Motor Vehicle Accidents are a Leading Cause of Death

  • Crashes are the number one cause of death for kids age four
  • Crashes are the second-leading cause of death amongst kids of other ages
  • Children comprise four percent of traffic fatalities
  • On average, three children are killed and 470 children are injured every day in the United States in traffic crashes
  • Since 2003, the number of child fatalities in traffic accidents has dropped by 47 percent

Fact #2: Using Proper Restraints Saves Kids’ Lives

  • Child safety seats reduce infant fatalities by 71 percent and toddler fatalities by 54 percent
  • An estimated 43 percent of children who died in crashes were not restrained
  • An estimated 263 infants’ and toddlers’ lives were saved in 2013 by restraint use. If all infants and toddler would have been in a car seat, 56 more children could have been saved

Fact #3: Kids are Prime Victims of Pedestrian Fatalities

  • Over one-fifth of fatal pedestrian traffic accident victims are children
  • Approximately 10,000 children are injured in pedestrian accidents each year
  • Risk factors for pedestrian accidents include being a boy (60 percent of victims) and being in the eight- to 14-years-old age range
  • The highest percentage (35 percent) of child pedestrian traffic fatalities occurred between 6 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Fact #4: Where a Child Sits in the Vehicle Affects Safety Risks

  • Never place a child in rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a car with a passenger airbag, recommends the NHTSA
  • Not following the car restraint’s manufacturer instructions or the vehicle owner’s manual instructions to a T could result in injury and fatality
  • Kids age 12 and younger are safest when riding (buckled) in the backseat

 

For more interesting and informative articles, feel free to peruse the Max Meyers law blog, or take a look at our Car Accidents page.

Max Meyers
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Max is a Kirkland personal injury attorney handling cases in Seattle, King County & surrounding in WA State.