Poorly Installed Car Seats Can Put Your Child at Risk

According to the Georgia Department of Law, car accidents are the leading cause of death and injuries for children ages 1 to 12 years in the state.  One of the primary contributors to this unacceptable fact is the lack of car seats. But even when parents do have car seats or booster seats, as Georgia law requires for children under the age of 8, they are often improperly installed, which can lead to the tragic injuries or deaths that the seats are designed to prevent.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the deaths of 4 out of every 10 children under the age of 6 who die or are seriously injured in auto accidents can be attributed to being unrestrained or improperly restrained. When car seats are properly used and installed, however, they are 71% effective in preventing injury among infants and 54% effective with children ages 1-4.

The most common problems with the use and installation of child car seats, according to the NHTSA, include:

• using the wrong child safety seats for a child’s size and age;
• failing to place the child safety seat in the correct direction;
• incorrect installation of the child safety seat in relation to the vehicle’s air bags;
• incorrect installation and tightness of the child safety seat to the vehicle seat;
• not securing/tightening the child safety seat’s harness and crotch straps;
• improper use of locking clips for certain vehicle safety belts;
• not making sure the vehicle’s seat belts fit properly across the child when using a booster seat; and
• using a defective or broken child safety seat.

On its website, the NHTSA has useful information and instructional videos to help parents properly install child safety seats. Additionally, you can use its website to locate a child car seat safety inspection station near youwhere certified technicians can inspect your child car seat and show you how to correctly install and use it. Click here for a map of west Georgia inspection stations.

At The Parian Law Firm in metro Atlanta, Georgia, we represent injury victims exclusively and are committed to getting justice and compensation for our clients. Please contact us at (770) 727-5550 or chat live online with a member of our staff today.