New Child Seat Guidelines Highlight Ease of Use

August 31, 2011

New Child Seat Guidelines Highlight Ease of Use

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently rated child restraints according to their ease of use. The NHTSA gives safety seats a one to five-star rating for a variety of child safety seat features, with five being the most trouble-free. The features rated are:
-Clarity of labels
-Clarity of Instructions
-Ease in securing the child correctly
-Ease of installation

The NHTSA hopes drivers will use these guidelines to be able to safely and correctly obtain the right safety seat. For example, if a consumer will use a child safety seat for multiple vehicles, car seats that receive a five-star rating for ease of installation will likely be a good choice.

The new guidelines are the NHTSA's latest attempt to promote child vehicle safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car accidents are the largest killer of children under the age of 14. Fortunately, safety seats for infants can reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants, and 54 percent for toddlers, reports Car-Safety.org, a child passenger safety advocate group. Unfortunately, however, they also report that nationally 80 percent of motorists do not use car seats correctly.

Appropriate Safety Seats Can Help Prevent Injury in Accidents

According to guidelines by the NHTSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics, children under two years old should have a rear-facing child seat. Children aged 2-4 can have either rear or forward-facing seats. Car-Safety.org recommends children up to 35 or 40 pounds should have rear-facing seats. Children 4-7 years old can have forward-facing safety seats or booster seats. Even children 8 and older can use booster seats in order that the seat belt fits over the child's thighs, and not on his or her stomach.

Unfortunately, accidents can happen, and child safety seats can help to prevent injuries in case a reckless, drunk or negligent driver causes an accident. Twenty-five percent of children killed in a motor vehicle accident involved a drunk driver, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you or your child are injured because of a car accident, you may be able to receive compensation for medical costs and other expenses. A personal injury attorney can make sure that the other driver is held responsible, and that the child safety seat was not defective, letting you focus on recovery and care during a difficult time.

Article provided by Harshman and McBee, P.C.
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