At The Stewart Law Firm, we know that car accidents can lead to serious injuries — especially when children are not secured properly in a vehicle.
That’s why we spent last week celebrating Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week. The week highlights the importance of ensuring that all children are safe and secure in an appropriate car seat or seat belt.
Read on to learn more from our team of Austin car accident attorneys about the week and how to ensure your children are as safe as possible when you’re driving them around.
The history of Child Passenger Safety Awareness
The first car seat was created in 1962, but The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration didn’t create federal standards for car seats until 1971.
Since then, states have instituted child restraint laws and required Child Passenger Safety Technician certifications for people installing the proper child safety equipment.
Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week is sponsored and promoted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a division of the US. Department of Transportation. It is celebrated the third week of September every year.
This year, it was celebrated this past week: September 19-26, 2021.
How often are children seriously injured in car accidents?
Unfortunately, road injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.
On average, over 300 children were injured every day in car accidents in 2019, and more than 600 were killed throughout the year, as well.
Even more tragically, 38% of children who died in 2019 while riding in passenger vehicles were unrestrained.
Keeping your child safe on the road
Here are some tips for keeping your children safe while driving around:
- Let your little ones stay rear-facing as long as possible (both The American Academy of Pediatrics and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend it!).
- Until the age of 13, children should ride in the backseat.
- Make sure all your car seats are properly installed.
- Stay up-to-date with all current regulations and suggestions, since a child’s age, weight, and height can all play a factor when determining proper safety harnesses.
Celebrate Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week with us
You can celebrate Child Passenger Safety Awareness Week several ways this year and every year!
You can:
- Ensure that your family and everyone you know are properly using child safety measures in your vehicles
- Talk about these issues on social media
- Donate new car seats to local charities or families in need!
Contact The Stewart Law Firm for more information
We should all be doing our part to ensure the youngest members of our community are safe and sound. But if you do end up in an accident, The Stewart Law Firm is here for you. Contact us today or call (512) 271-511 to schedule a free consultation.
