There are a few things you can do to help your child if they are in a car accident. First, make sure your child uses a safety seat and a belt. Make sure the child safety seat is checked for any visible damage. Then, follow up with your pediatrician within a couple of days for a follow-up visit. Discuss the crash with your child and any changes in their behavior.
Avoid distractions
Keeping your eyes on the road is the best way to avoid being in an accident. People are often unaware of the dangers of getting distracted while driving. Parents should discuss this with their children. Children can become argumentative and need something during the trip, so parents should prepare for these distractions before driving.
Distractions can cause car accidents and injuries, especially for children. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety states that children create four times more distraction than adult passengers, and infants create eight times more. Young children are twelve times more distracted by their phones than drivers without them.
Parents should pay attention to the road and refrain from texting or talking on their phones while driving. Distractions like this can have devastating consequences. For example, a parent could be distracted by their child for up to three minutes and 22 seconds. This is almost 25% of the time a driver is not paying attention to the road.
Children should always be secured in their car seats on car rides. Children should be seated in the backseat of the vehicle at all times. Accidents can be caused if your children are distracted by things like climbing or fighting between seats. Keep your children busy with quiet toys and activities while driving to avoid accidents.
Using a child safety seat
Using a child safety seat is vital in preventing your child’s injuries in a car accident. The straps that hold the seat onto the child’s body should be snug, and the shoulder straps should be placed just above the child’s shoulders. The seat belt should be fastened to the back of the seat. Many car seats have an integrated lock-off system that helps prevent your child from being unseated during a crash.
It is important to select a safety seat that is appropriate for your child’s age and height when purchasing a child safety chair. Also, it’s important to check whether the seat comes with an instruction manual that tells you whether or not it’s certified for use in cars. Some seats can also be used on planes.
Using a child safety seat is also important for rear-facing children. If a child is in the rear-facing car seat, he or she can be squeezed in the car’s airbag. If a child is not buckled up, he or she could be too close to the air bag, which can inflate quickly and injure passengers nearby. The child’s neck or head could also be impacted by the air bag.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), United States Department of Transportation, estimates that around one third of all deaths in passenger cars are due to children being improperly restrained. Children’s bodies can be smaller than adults’, so standard seatbelts won’t work. Children can easily get sucked under the seat and drag them under it, causing severe injuries.
New York law requires children under 8 years old to use a child safety seat until the age of two. The state will require all passengers to use seat belts by November 2020. New York State law also requires child safety seats and child restraint systems to meet safety standards.
Use a seatbelt – Abogados de Accidentes Santa Ana
Using a seat belt while driving is crucial to protect your children from injuries in a car accident. A crash can cause injuries to children, including scrapes and bruises on the seatbelt. The impact force can cause your child’s head to be violently whipped forward. This can lead to bruises and scrapes.
The best defense against a car crash is a seatbelt. The seat belt is the best defense against car crashes. In fact, more than half of all car crash fatalities are caused by occupants who don’t wear it. Seat belts have saved 374,276 lives between 1975 and 2017. While it’s not always easy to convince children to wear their seat belts, they can make a huge difference in the outcome of a car accident.
Although it can be difficult to get your children to wear their seatbelts, it is possible to make it easier by being their primary influence. Use positive reinforcement to encourage your child to buckle up every time. You can also use rewards to encourage your child to buckle up.
Research shows that children are just as safe in car accidents as adults when they’re buckled in a seat belt. Unbelted children are at risk of being hurt in a car accident. The risk of injury is reduced by 70% with a seat belt and 40% with booster seats.
While the law requires parents and caregivers to use a seat belt in a car accident, not using a seat belt has no impact on their ability to recover damages. The contributory negligence system of Indiana means that if a child was not buckled in a seat belt, a parent can still seek full compensation from the negligent driver.
Check for visible damage to a child safety seat
After a collision, it is important that you check the structural integrity and safety of your child safety seat. Damaged or worn restraints should be replaced. Some damage is hidden, so it’s important to inspect for visible damage. Some car seats are resilient to visible damage, so it is possible to keep their structural integrity.
Make sure your child is wearing a seat belt whenever you are backing out of a driveway or parking space. Also, roll down your windows when backing out. Children under five years old are at greatest risk from rear-over crashes, especially if they are riding in a high-riding vehicle.
If you’re not sure if your child safety seat has visible damage, consult the manufacturer’s manual. You can find this manual online. These restraints should be replaced if there has been a crash. You should always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations, even if they don’t look like any visible damage.
It is crucial to read all instructions carefully. Failure to do this could result in warranty issues. Manufacturers also offer consumer information service lines and websites to answer your questions about car seats. If you have any questions about the manufacturer’s guidelines, Abogados de Accidentes Santa Ana can help. If the manufacturer doesn’t follow the correct instructions, they can assist you in filing a claim for damages.
Taking your child to the ER after a car accident
It’s important to get your child checked out if you have been in a car accident. Even minor accidents can result in serious injuries. You should immediately dial 911 to report the incident and remain calm until the first responders arrive. While you wait, don’t move your child. If possible, turn on your emergency lights to avoid causing another collision. Even if your child does not require hospitalization, you should immediately contact a pediatrician to ensure that they are okay.
While you wait to see the doctor, keep your child entertained with coloring books or other activities. Don’t forget to bring a toothbrush and change of clothes for your child. The staff at the emergency room will appreciate the extra effort you’ve made.
Children are especially vulnerable following a car accident. Children may not be able communicate their pain or have advanced language skills. It is possible for an infant to not cry out of pain but it is important to ensure your child is safe. If the accident was someone else’s fault, you can take legal action. An attorney can help you seek compensation.
Even though your child might not be suffering from life-threatening injuries, injuries sustained in a car accident can have long-lasting negative effects. Children’s bodies are still developing so injuries to the spine or other parts of the body can cause paralysis or nerve damage. Children may even lose their limbs depending on the severity of the injuries. In addition to physical injuries, children often suffer psychological issues that may last months or even years.
You should immediately take your child to the ER if they become unconscious from an accident. Concussion symptoms should be checked out. A pediatrician can recommend an orthopedist or neurologist if you are concerned about your child’s condition. The pediatrician can also help with rehabilitation for your child.