Even though seat belts have been installed in cars for the specific purpose of protecting occupants from injury, ejection, or death, improper use of these features may be quite dangerous. One of the most common scenarios in which these systems are misused is when strapping a child into a vehicle. Many times, parents may buckle up a child who is too young or small to wear an adult-sized seat belt. In other cases, children may twist around or remove the seat belt should strap, putting them at risk of being severely hurt in the case of a collision.
Protect Your Child
In order to best safeguard your child against the pains and hazards of a seat belt injury, you should take the proper care to inform him or her of proper seat belt use. You should also provide the child with a downsized, properly-fitting belt until he or she has grown to fit comfortably and safely in a normal one.
In general, children should be buckled into child seats until they have grown to a certain height – around 4’9”. Infants should ride in infant or rear-facing convertible seats, toddlers should be strapped into convertible seats (although these may face the front of the vehicle), and older children should sit in booster seats until they are tall enough to safely wear adult seat belts. Children should also ride in the back seat of the car until they reach their teenage years due to airbag hazards.
Contact Us
If you would like to learn more about child seat belt injuries and how best to safeguard your youngster against these dangers, contact child injury lawyer Jeffrey Killino today at 877-875-2927 to discuss any questions you may have with him.
