Are you aware that motor vehicle accident injuries are the number one cause of death among children in the U.S.? While true, many of these deaths can be prevented.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are risk reduction steps that can be taken for children of every age. For example, the use of a car seat reduces the risk of infant death by approximately 70 percent. Furthermore, the use of a booster seat among children in the 4 to 8 age bracket reduces the risk of injury by as much as 45 percent.
The best way to improve child passenger safety is to ensure that the child is always using the appropriate type of seat and buckled securely. It only takes one mistake by one driver to cause an accident, so you should never take a risk when strapping your child into a vehicle.
Here is an eye opening statistic: in the U.S. during 2011, more than 600 children age 12 or younger were killed in a motor vehicle accident. Another 148,000 were injured.
While that statistic is telling, here is what you really need to know: of the children who were killed in such accidents, 33 percent were not buckled into their seat.
You can control the steps you take to improve your safety, as well as that of your child, before putting your car in drive. You can also control the moves you make on the road. What you cannot control is what other drivers are going to do. If somebody strikes your vehicle, you want to know that your child is securely buckled.
