Clearwater Parents: Reduce Child Injuries with These Tips on Car Safety for Kids

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 148,000 kids under the age of 13 were injured in 2011 alone in auto accidents, while 650 lost their lives.

In all too many of these instances, tragedy could have been prevented if some basic safety precautions like the ones below had been in place.

Proper Car Seat Installation

Remember, proper car seat use can reduce the chance of death in the event of an accident by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. If you have a young child, ensuring that your car seat has been properly installed is one of the easiest ways to improve child safety.

However, research on car safety for kids has shown that as many as 72 percent of car and booster seats are not properly installed in passenger vehicles. Information on proper installation can typically be found with the seat’s owner manual, while the Centers for Disease Control recommends that a Child Passenger Safety Technician can assure that the device has been installed correctly.

Proper Seat Belt Use

For children who are too old for a car or booster seat, simply ensuring that they are properly buckled up whenever the vehicle is in motion can go a long way toward improving child safety for kids. Be sure to provide a good example by ensuring that all adult passengers are buckled up as well.

Other Car Safety Tips

• Avoid distractions while driving, include becoming preoccupied with a child while you’re behind the wheel.
• Try to drive well rested. New parents in particular have trouble getting enough sleep according to the National Sleep Foundation, and this can negatively impact your ability to drive safely.

Do you have a child who has been seriously injured in Clearwater car accident? Call Abrahamson & Uiterwyk at 1-800-538-4878!

If a member of your family has been the victim of senseless car accident due to another driver’s negligence, you may need the help of an experienced Clearwater injury lawyer who can stand up for your family’s rights.

Call our car accident law team now at 1-800-538-4878 for a free case evaluation to discuss how we may be able to help.