When it comes to keeping kids safe, one of the best things North Carolina parents can do is to make sure their young children are properly secured in car seats or booster seats. Car accidents happen every day. Many accidents are minor and don’t result in any injuries, but children can still be protected in serious crashes when they are properly secured in a vehicle.
According to a new study, booster seat laws have been working in states that have enforced the laws over the past decade. Parents might think their older kids are safe enough wearing a seat belt, but traffic statistics show that more lives are being saved in states that require children between the ages of 4 and 7 to use booster seats when riding in a car.
For the study, researchers took crash statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analyzed how crash data between 1999 and 2009 correlated with new state laws regarding car seat and booster seat requirements.
Researchers discovered that child traffic death rates were lower in states that required children to use booster seats compared to states that did not require children who were 7 or younger to be strapped in booster seats or car seats.
Researchers hope this study will encourage all parents to use booster seats for their children up to age 12, even when state laws do not require the use of booster seats.
There are many precautions parents and motorists can take in order to reduce the risk of being seriously injured in a car crash, including using safety belts, car seats and booster seats. But when a serious accident does happen, victims should know that they can seek guidance from an attorney who will protect their rights and help them obtain compensation for any damages, including injuries.
Source: Reuters, “After car booster seat laws, child deaths fell,” Amy Norton, Nov. 6, 2012
- Our firm provides counsel to those who have been injured in car accidents, including families who have lost loved ones in fatal accidents. To learn more about our firm and practice, please visit our Fayetteville fatal car accident attorney page