Even though some of us think that travelling in a motor vehicle is safe for children, the truth is, car crashes is the leading cause of unintended death for many children aged 3 to 14 years old. Further, federal statistics show an increasing number of children who die from heat-stroke in parked cars.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 4 children (aged 14 years and under) are killed in car accidents every day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported that on the average, nearly 504 children suffer motor vehicle accident injuries each day.
With the oncoming celebration of the Child Safety Week on September 19 to 25, it is important to emphasize child safety in motor vehicles, such as proper use of child safety restraints like booster seats or even simple reminders on how dangerous it is to leave a child unattended inside the car.
Here are some tips to keep kids safe in your car and how you can prevent child injuries and death in motor vehicle accidents:
• Educate your kids. Toddlers and young children tend to be inquisitive and some get overly excited when they see a car pull over in the drive way which may lead to back over accidents. It is important to teach them to keep away from vehicles and not play around cars. Likewise, teaching your child how to properly cross the street such as waiting for traffic lights and walking in crosswalks can help prevent collisions and accidents.
• Know how to properly install child safety seats. Using age and size appropriate car seats and booster seats reduces the risk of serious and fatal injuries by more than half. However, even if you strap a toddler in or have the appropriate child safety seats, it may not be enough especially since according to the NHTSA, a majority of these safety restraints are not correctly installed, as much as 75 percent. Visit the NHTSA website to learn about the proper installation of these child safety seats.
• Parents should know what kind of safety restraints should be used on their child. As children grow older, there are different child safety seats and measures that should be applied. The NHTSA recommends booster seats for children until they are at least 8 years old or 4’9 tall. Further, all children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat.
• Lastly, never leave your child especially babies unattended in a closed vehicle, even if you think you’ll only be gone for a minute. Children’s bodies overheat easily and infants and children under the age of 4 are the most at risk for heat-related illnesses which can lead directly to heat stroke and death.
As parents or even as guardians of children, it is important to prioritize their safety and well-being. Hopefully, the celebration of the Child Safety Week this Sept. 19 – 25 will serve as a timely reminder to everyone on motor vehicle accident deaths for children can be easily avoided by following the above-mentioned tips.
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