Wearing your seat belt is one of the most important things you can do to stay safe in the car. In fact, according to Safe Kids Worldwide, more than ten thousand child lives were saved by seat belts or child safety seats between 1975-2013.
Adult seat belts don’t usually fit children well until sometime between ages 8 and 12, depending on the size of the individual child. Don’t rush the move from the booster seat.
Do a safety belt fit test to determine if your child is ready to graduate from the booster seat. When buckling in, make sure that the lap belt fits snugly across the hips or upper thighs. The shoulder belt should cross the shoulder and chest, not the face or neck. Knees should bend at the edge of the seat when the child’s back and bottom are against the vehicle seat back, and the child’s feet should touch the floor.
As an adult, one of the best things you can do for the safety of children is to provide a good example by buckling up every time you get into a car. Make sure that everyone else in the vehicle buckles up as well.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are one of the top causes of death during the first three decades of Americans’ lives. The risk of serious injury and death in a crash can be reduced by half by wearing seat belts and buckling children into car seats or booster seats that are appropriate for their age and size.
In Indiana, 94% of drivers and front seat passengers wear their seat belts. Let’s get that number to 100%!
With over 40 years of experience, John Schuerman is a compassionate advocate for injury victims and their families while being an aggressive fighter for justice and full compensation for their claims. If you or a loved one have suffered an injury from an automobile accident, call 1-800-274-0045 today for a free consultation. Evening and weekend appointments as well as home and hospital visits are available.
