While you cannot control other vehicles on the road this holiday season, you can avoid injuries by properly fastening your seatbelt. Children of different ages and sizes must be fastened according to their size and weight. Read this week’s blog and your state’s laws to learn the proper way to fasten up for avoiding car accident injuries.
Sit the right way:
ProCare Health & Rehab Centers physicians do not want anyone to suffer from car accident injuries. Follow the state law and our tips for avoiding injuries caused during car accidents. More specifically injuries due to improper seatbelt fastening or car seat positioning.
Many parents do not know what the law is in each state while traveling via car with babies, toddlers, and young children. During his holiday season’s road trips, be aware of each state’s laws you are driving through in order to avoid tickets and stops.
In the event of a car accident, a child can be severely injured. Their small, developing necks and spines cannot withstand such speeds. This is why the new guidelines are advising parents to keep their children’s carseat rear-facing for as long as possible. Yes, as long as possible. Parents were previously advised to keep children rear-facing until they were at least two years-old.
How long is “as long as possible”? The new AAP guidelines advise people to keep children rear-facing until the child reaches the car seat’s maximum height and weight listed on the car seat’s label or instruction manual. Once children reach that height or weight, they can then be transition into forward-facing car seats followed by booster seats.
Nowadays, there are car seats which simply guide parents, grandparents, caretakers and friends through the stages. For example, the Graco 4Ever 4-in-1 convertible car seat starts in infant stage which is of course in an almost horizontal-laying rear-facing position.
The car seat has 6 stages of incline to ease the minds of parents and so forth. Stage one is the most horizontal position. Stages one through three are rear-facing, and stages four through six are forward facing. Safely fastening up children begins with user-friendly and crash rated car seats.
Avoid car accident injuries by reading car seat manuals:
After the car seat stage, the small straps can be removed and then the normal car seat belt can be used. Finally, once the child is the right height, weight, and in some states,the right age, the child can use the booster seat. Experts say there are car seats on the market that allow children to stay rear-facing for up to 40 pounds. They also share that the longer you keep a child rear-facing, the long you allow their spine, neck, and head to develop.
According to a nonprofit child safety organization called Safe Kids Worldwide, placing a child in a car seat correctly can help decrease the risk of death or serious injury by over 70 percent. Keep in mind that every car seat is different. Read the owner’s manual and instructions to properly fasten your children. It could be the difference between walking or becoming paralyzed from a crash. It could even be the difference between life or death.
Next week, we will discuss the proper way to fasten adult’s seat belts. Here at ProCare Health & Rehab Centers, we invest ourselves into treating adults suffering from injuries caused by car accidents. So be sure to read along next week.
Enjoy you holiday season and remember to plan ahead after holiday drinking, and be aware of how tired you are before getting behind the wheel. Have a beautiful and joyful holiday season!
Seasons Greetings!
Staff Writer
