Did You Know That Twenty Percent of Children Who Die In Car Accidents Are Not Restrained Properly?
A study that was recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics reported that approximately twenty percent of children who were killed in car accidents between 2010 and 2014, or of the eighteen thousand children involved in the auto accidents that were studied in those years, nearly sixteen percent sustained fatal injuries. Unfortunately, these deaths were thought to have occurred because the children were not restrained properly in the vehicle. The study also suggests that by making sure that children under the age of fifteen are restrained properly in an age-appropriate car seat or booster, or wearing seat belts, more than two hundred lives a year could be saved.
The child fatality rates interestingly varied depending on the state. However, this is understandable given that public information on seat belt laws, car seat safety, and other factors, such as the use of red light cameras or prevalence of rural roads, also vary based on the state within which an individual is driving.
Southern states, as well as the western states of Wyoming and Montana, are statistically, some of the most dangerous states for children riding in cars. In fact, more than fifty percent of children who suffered fatal injuries in car accidents lived in southern states. Mississippi is the deadliest state, where a devastatingly thirty-eight percent of all children who died were either not restrained correctly, or not restrained at all.
The report published in the Journal of Pediatrics is not the only study to reveal these alarming statistics. The Centers for Disease Control has also reported that one of the leading causes of death for children is car accidents. However, a significant number of these accidents could be prevented if children were properly restrained in vehicles.
What Happens If I Am In an Accident and My Child Was Not Restrained Properly?
It is important to note that the consequences of failing to use or using car seats, boosters, or seat belts properly can be serious. Not only does improper restraint increase the chances that your child will be fatally injured, but the failure to properly secure them in your vehicle could potentially affect your ability to recover any damages if are ever involved in a car accident.
Call a Long Accident Car Accident Lawyer
If you and your child have been involved in a car accident in Nassau County and there is a question over whether your child was restrained properly, be sure to consult with a knowledgeable car accident lawyer in Long Island as soon as possible. An experienced auto accident attorney can advise you of your options and will work with you to make sure your rights and the rights of your children are fully protected. Contact the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP by calling 516-358-6900 and learn how we can help you. We are available 24/7 so don’t hesitate to contact us at any time, day or night. If you are unable to make it to our office, we will come out to you!
For a free legal consultation, call 516-358-6900
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