Did you know that 43% of children who died as a result of a car crash were improperly restrained? According to NPR, that goes to show the importance of proper car seat and seat belt usage, in kids of all ages. If those children had been properly buckled in and sitting in a car seat, they may have survived.
Luckily, over the years, technology has created seat belts and car seats specifically designed to protect small children in the event of a crash.
As your child grows, he or she will need a new car seat every few years, depending on his or her age, weight and height. It’s important to pay specific attention to the weight and height listed on your child’s car seat, because if your child is too big or too small for the car seat you have, he may not be properly protected in the event of an accident.
If you’re not sure where to start, there are a number of resources which may be available to you. Several of the resources potentially available are – SafeKids.org is a web site that has many informational items and may be able to help you find one or more technicians in your area trained and certified on car seat installation. Your local police and/or fire department may have one or more people trained to assist in how to properly install a car seat into your vehicle. A local hospital that has a Children’s section may also be able to help you. Finally, you can visit your local DMV or DMV website to find out about car seat rules and regulations in your state.
Seatbelt rules and requirements differ from state to state, so depending on where you live, you may be required to have your child in a car seat or booster seat up until the age of 12. These rules are made with specific car crash information and studies in mind—they’re not meant to be restrictive or difficult to follow, but only to keep your child safe in the back seat.
At 4N6XPRT Systems, we’ve spent more than two decades developing powerful accident reconstruction software tools like 4N6XPRT BioMeknx to help insurance companies, law enforcement agencies and attorneys establish fault in car accidents. Contact us online to learn more about this, or any of the other products and services we offer today.