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Protect Your Children from Injury in a Palm Beach Car Crash

As a parent, it is our job to ensure our children are happy, healthy and safe. If your child is injured in a Palm Beach car crash, you may feel as if you have failed at keeping him or her protected from harm. In order to ensure your children are as safe as possible, you need to be a careful, considerate and defensive driver. But the most important step a parent can take is to always use approved safety restraints in a car. These safety restraints should be checked to be certain that they are appropriate for the child’s age and weight, as well as to ensure they are installed properly.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), car crash-related injuries are the leading cause of death for children ages 5-19. There are also nearly 3,600 children between ages 0 and 19 seen in emergency rooms daily due to injuries that they have sustained in a motor vehicle crash.

Safety Restraint Stages
Florida law states that children must ride in a child restraint if they are age 3 or younger, but that any child over 4 may ride in an adult restraint. Some safety advocates believe that this law if far too lenient and fails to adequately protect our children from sustaining harm in a Palm Beach car wreck.

We at Fetterman & Associates suggest that you follow the guidelines that have been established by the CDC.

  • Infants –Babies should be placed in rear-facing car seats until they are at least 1 year and 20 pounds. After this point, babies may be placed in a front facing child restraint. The backseat is always the safest place for children. However, if your baby must ride in the front seat, you must never place a rear facing child seat in front of an airbag.
  • Toddlers – It is suggested that toddlers remain in a front facing child restraint until they are at least 4 years old or 40 pounds. Keep in mind that many front facing child restraints exceed this limit. It is perfectly safe to allow your child to ride in a restraint until they exceed the height or weight limit.
  • Preschoolers – Young children may ride in a booster seat when they are at least 4 years old or 40 pounds. Children should ride in an approved booster seat until they are at least 8 years of age or 4’9” tall. They should not discontinue using the booster until the lap and shoulder belts fit properly and their legs are long enough to bend at the edge of the seat.
  • Older children – When possible, children should always ride in the back seat of a motor vehicle. It is suggested that all children who are age 12 or under sit in the back seat of the car, regardless of their height or weight. Studies have shown that riding in the back seat can reduce the risk of sustaining serious injuries by 40% in children less than 16 years old.

Ensuring your child restraint is installed correctly is just as important as using the proper restraint for your child. If you would like to have your restraint checked by a professional, visit a free inspection station near you.

If your child has been injured in a serious Palm Beach car crash, contact a Palm Beach accident attorney at Fetterman & Associates – The Law Team today. We will be an advocate on your child’s behalf and will fight to ensure you receive compensation for their injuries. Call our office at 1-800-LAW IN FL (529-4635) today for a complimentary consultation.

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Fetterman & Associates, PA
648 US Highway One
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: 561-845-2510
Toll Free: 1-800-LAW IN FL (529-4635)

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Fetterman & Associates, PA
648 US Highway One
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
Phone: 561-845-2510
Toll Free: 1-800-LAW IN FL (529-4635)

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