Car accidents are especially dangerous for young children.

The small size and shape of small children’s bodies make them much more vulnerable to injury in a car crash; even an accident would cause little harm to adults in the same vehicle.

In the United States, 529 infants and toddlers died in car accidents in 2003, while thousands more suffered serious injuries. However, there is a way to protect the youngest passengers in your car. Securing young children in proper child safety seats reduces the risk of fatal injuries by over 70%.

Michigan law requires drivers to take these precautions. In this state, every child under age 4 must be properly buckled in a child safety seat while riding in a motor vehicle. Older children, as well as all the adult occupants of a motor vehicle – must wear seatbelts.

Travel Safely with Young Passengers in Your Car

The following is essential safety information for every parent, relative, friend, or caregiver, who may transport an infant or small child in an automobile.

Be sure to get the right car seat for your child.

When it comes to child restraint systems, one size does not fit all. Each car safety system must be appropriate for the individual youngster’s age, weight, and height.

The following are general guidelines about the kind of protection your child may need:

• Infants up to about 1 year old should travel in a federally-approved infant safety seat that faces the rear of the car. Facing the back of the car protects a baby's fragile head and neck if a car accident occurs. The car seat should be semi-reclined so that the baby’s head does not flop forward.
• Children between 1 and 4 years old can sit in a convertible seat that faces forward, if the car seat is equipped with harness straps to securely hold the youngster in place.
• A child who outgrows a convertible seat should ride in a booster seat, which will make the safety belt fit better and more comfortably.
• After a child gets too big for a booster seat, he or she can wear a regular seat belt, but should continue to sit in the back seat until 12 years of age.

Give your child the maximum protection by using the car safety seat properly.

Although about 80% of drivers use child restraint systems, over 70 % were incorrectly installed.  The most common mistakes were incorrect use of the tethers and harnesses, which will keep the child safely secured in the event of an accident.

This puts children at risk, which could easily be avoided, if drivers took the time to take these simple steps:

• Study the vehicle owner’s manual and car seat instructions carefully.
• Check to see if you need a special locking clip. Not all standard safety belts will secure a car seat without it.
• Look for a car seat with a label saying it meets federal motor vehicle standards.
• Send in the car seat registration card, so that you will get notice of product safety recalls.
• Get a tight fit - the car seat should not move more than one inch from side to side or forward. To check for proper installation, push and pull on the car seat near the safety belt buckle.
• Replace a car seat that has been in a crash.

Get Help If Your Child is the Victim of a Michigan Car Accident

No matter how hard you try to protect your child, sometimes you cannot avoid getting into a motor vehicle crash.

You need to protect your legal rights.

If you or a family member is injured in a Michigan car accident, consult an experienced Michigan car accident attorney, before you talk with the insurance company of the person at fault. If you sign the wrong papers, you may give up all the legal claims that you or your child may have for payment of medical bills and lost income, as well as compensation for pain and suffering.

After auto accidents, injured victims and their families tend to focus on their physical, emotional, or financial challenges. Nevertheless, the time that Michigan law allows an adult - or a child - to act to preserve legal rights starts to run from the day of the motor vehicle accident.

Therefore, make the time to talk with an experienced Michigan car accident lawyer immediately. Please submit a simple, free and confidential legal consultation form about your Michigan car accident claim now.

Protect your rights. Get the Bernstein Advantage today.