New York Car Accident Lawyer Blog
For years now it has been a milestone for parents to switch their one-year-old children from rear-facing car seats to forward-facing car seats. NY Car Accident Lawyers pointed out today that a study from 2007 has convinced the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend raising this milestone to age two.
This study found staggering statistics that children under 2 are 75 percent less likely to suffer severe or fatal injuries in a vehicle accident if they face backward.
The Academy says a baby’s head is relatively large in proportion to the rest of his body, and the bones of his neck are structurally immature, described the NYC Car Accident Lawyer. They say if he’s rear-facing, his entire body is better supported by the shell of the car seat.
The Academy is also recommending that older children stay in booster seats until they are 4 feet 9 inches tall now, so that the seat belt fits properly on them and protects them better in the event of an accident.
The recommendations are meant to help parents move away from gospel-held notions that are based on a child’s age, a reporter observed. They want them to recognize that with each transition they make, from rear-facing to forward-facing, to booster seats, there is a decline in the safety of their child. Distracted Driving is also a cause of accidents.
Observers explained that other countries like Sweden present some compelling evidence that these recommendations make sense. Children in Sweden sit rear facing until age 4 and boasts the lowest highway fatality rate for children 6 and younger.
One report claimed it saved a young girl’s life seven years ago when a couple’s van landed upside down in a very traumatic traffic accident, revealed the NY Car Accident Lawyer.
The E.M.T.’s told the couple that as soon as they saw the car, they were ready to start taking out bodies. Instead, they found the entire family nearly unscathed, with all three children suspended upside down, still securely strapped in their car seats. They are trying to get drivers in Manhattan and Long Island to be aware if these facts.
Thankfully rear-facing car seats today can accommodate children who weigh up to 45 pounds.
Has your child or loved one been injured or killed in a car accident? NY Car Accident Attorneys would like to help. NY Car Accident Attorneys understand today’s laws and can represent your family to make sure you are taken care of