Car accidents are one of the leading causes of injury and death among children, making vehicle safety a top priority for parents and caregivers. Because crashes can happen unexpectedly, taking specific precautions can significantly reduce the risk that children will be injured in the event of a wreck.
Obviously, one of the most effective ways to protect children in a crash involves ensuring that they are secured in an age-appropriate car seat or booster seat. However, it is not always so obvious what “an age-appropriate car seat or booster seat” actually is. Infants and toddlers should be in rear-facing seats for as long as possible, typically until they reach the seat’s height and weight limits. Forward-facing car seats with harnesses are the next step for older toddlers, while booster seats should be used until a child is big enough to properly fit a seat belt.
Once a child is ready to use a seat belt alone, it is important to ensure the belt fits correctly. A lap belt should rest across the upper thighs, not the stomach, and a shoulder belt should cross the chest rather than the neck. Children under 13 should always ride in the back seat, where they are less likely to be injured by airbag deployment.
Additional precautions
During a crash, loose objects inside a vehicle can become dangerous projectiles. Items such as bags, toys and even cell phones can cause injuries if they are thrown forward with force. Keeping a vehicle free of unnecessary clutter and securing heavy objects in the trunk or under seats can help prevent certain kinds of injuries in the event of an accident.
With all of this said, even with safety precautions in place, children should be taught how to react if an accident happens. Older kids should know how to unbuckle their seat belts, exit the vehicle if it is safe and wait for help away from traffic. Parents should also have emergency contact information easily accessible and discuss basic safety procedures with their children in an age-appropriate way, simply because not all accidents can be prevented.
