Tag Archives: seat belts

General Safety Issues

AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS AND CHILD SAFETY (GUEST POST)

The world we live in is dangerous.  It doesn’t take much more than the news to see it: conflict overseas, the constant threat of terror, pandemic diseases, cancer rates on the rise – but what we tend to forget is that some of the most common and preventable causes of death and injury can be chalked up to failure to observe safety regulations while performing commonplace activities, such as driving.  the unfortunate reality is that the consequences of such negligence are received by the world’s youth, with the leading number of injuries to children on an international scale, caused by traffic collision, sits right around 260,000.

The good news is that the CDC recently released a report on child passenger safety that shows deaths related to motor vehicle crashes in children 12 years and younger decreased by a whopping 43 per cent in the nine years between 2002 and 2011.  The bad news is that around 9,000 children did die during those years, and one-third of those children weren’t buckled up or safely secured in a car seat – and this doesn’t even account for the number of children injured but not killed. It is estimated that 150 children between infantile ages and 19 years old visit emergency rooms every hour due to injuries related to automobile accidents.

So what are we doing as a society to prevent the preventable? Besides avoiding the obvious, such as driving while intoxicated, texting and driving, or driving with little sleep, there are a number of safety tips to adhere to and mistakes to avoid when it comes to securing our children on the roads:

  • Use a Car Seat/Buckle Up – This might sound like a no-brainer, but the facts are the facts: 33 per cent of the children that died in auto accidents over the last 10 years weren’t buckled up (and that’s higher for the 8-to-12-year-old range, where 45 per cent of fatalities were not secured by a seatbelt.)  It’s the law in every state, county, and city that I can think of, so do your part to protect your kids and fasten them in.
  • Using the Car Seat Improperly – If you’ve left the straps too loose on the car seat, not been sure about which way to face the car seat, or have had the same car seat for your child since infancy, you’re increasing the risk of injury or death for your child in the case of an accident.  Make sure that you read the user’s manual for your specific model of car seat and follow the safety regulations.
  • Allowing Them to Sit in the Passenger Seat – Yes, your children will probably beg for you to put them in the front seat, and yes, the broken record style of begging may almost drive you to give in to their pleas – but the simple fact is that the front seat is not as safe as the backseat.  Until they are 12 years old, keep them where they are safe.
  • Find More Tips on USA Today.

It’s good to keep in mind that the rates of infant and child death due to auto accidents are going down, and hopefully will continue to.  Do your part and protect your child – someday, if we are all vigilant about our children’s safety, we’ll reduce their auto death and injury rate to zero.

That’s not hopeful thinking; that’s a fact.

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_preventable_causes_of_death
http://www.cdc.gov/media/DPK/2014/dpk-vs-motor-vehicle-safety.html
http://www.wtw-law.com/safety-child/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/04/cdc-too-many-kids-die-unbuckled/5204127/

Our thanks to Sofia Francis for this eye-opening article that lets us know that  our children’s safety is in our hands, at all times, and especially when we are driving. pb

 

General Safety Issues

WHAT A TEENAGER SHOULD KNOW BEFORE GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL (GUEST POST)

Please note: This article is dedicated to all those moms and dads who have lived through this, or will in the future! 

It is a very exciting time for a teenager when they approach the legal age to drive a car. In many states, this can be as young as 15 and a half. Parents, shuddering at the thought of their teen driving, should take into consideration if their teen is actually ready for this next step.

While each person develops at their own pace, reaching the legal driving age does not necessarily mean being mentally and emotionally ready for this task. A quick review with your teen over some key points will help you determine if they are ready to drive.

• Review Basic Traffic Laws

While they will cover this in driver’s education, it is important for you, as a parent to determine if they actually grasp what the laws mean. Talk to them about things like turn signal use, tailgating, and what to do at a four-way stop. These simple questions can go a long way in keeping your teen safe.

• Review Accident Safety

Accident safety is extremely important. Teach your teen to be thorough. In the event of a crisis situation they should be able to note the details, check for injured parties then contact and wait on the police. A prominent West Palm Beach car accident lawyer states this warning, “If you can’t move your vehicle, do not get out of your car and stand in the middle of the highway, wait until help arrives,” which is extremely important for your teen to know. This action will lessen the risk of a compound accident occurring.  There are roadside emergency kits that can be placed by the car to help it be more visible, if one is able to pull the car to the side.

• Review Passenger Safety

Make sure your teen knows all about passenger safety. Let them know that if they are going to have passengers in the vehicle that every passenger must abide by safety rules. This includes but is not limited to, using seat belts and refraining from overcrowding the car.

• Talk About Anger

Some of the worst accidents occur because the person behind the wheel is angry or upset. Their emotions overtake them, and their driving becomes erratic and dangerous. Stress how important it is to avoid driving while emotional.

• Talk About Drinking

While no one wants to think of their teens taking part in underage drinking, the risk remains. Confront your teen about this issue and let them know where you stand and what you expect. Being open with your teen is the best prevention.

• Discuss Cell Phone Use

Depending on the state in which you live, using a cell phone without a hands-free set may be illegal. Regardless if it is illegal or not, stress how important it is to only use the cell phone when parked. It takes four seconds to answer a phone, seven if you must look for it first. It only takes 2.5 seconds to cause an accident on the road. Stress even more that texting is absolutely forbidden in the car. 

Parents should also remember that their teens will mimic their driving habits. If you do not wear your seat belt, if you use the phone while driving, or if you are an aggressive driver, they will most likely drive that way on the road as well. 

Parents should also consider having extended periods of supervised driving. Have your teen run local errands with you and allow them to drive. The more experience they get behind the wheel before driving on their own, the better. Encourage them for all the right driving decisions they make. Support and encouragement will make them more confident and apt to continue making the right decisions on the road.

Nickey Williams contributes this article for those parents of teenagers who are in need of pre-driving tips. The West Palm Beach car accident lawyer firm of Steinger, Iscoe & Greene values the livelihood and welfare of their clients and shows this by lending guidance and whatever professional resources afforded to them. This legal team’s first goal is to get South Florida injury victims the compensation deserved when involved in an accident.

 
General Safety Issues

THREE SAFETY TIPS THAT GO BEYOND BUCKLING UP (GUEST POST)

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By Jamie McMackin

Everyone knows how important it is to wear your safety belt as a driver and also as a passenger in the car every time you travel. But there are also several less considered but equally as important safety tactics that you should consider in order to protect you and your passengers. 

Respect the Driver

As part of a campaign aimed at young drivers which is highlighted during National Teen Driver Safety Week, peer leaders and teachers are encouraged to make young people aware of the importance of respecting the driver. Safer driving is encouraged by making passengers aware of the dangers of distracting the driver and not behaving in a way that could cause an accident when the driver loses their concentration as a result of what is going on around them. Although this is a campaign primarily aimed at making students and younger drivers aware that bad or noisy behaviour in the car can cause an accident, it is a valuable safety tip that we can all take on board. Respect the driver and help them to get you to your destination as safely as possible whilst keeping distractions to a minimum is a practise that will reduce the number of unnecessary accidents on the road if followed. 

Know your vehicle

How well do you know the workings of your car? Many of us simply rely on the systems and safety features that come with the car in order to keep us safe but all car manufactures strongly suggest that ultimate protection is only required with a bit of knowledge and effort on the part of the driver and their passengers as well. Vehicle owners should familiarize themselves with where the air-bags are and make sure that sufficient room has been allowed for them to deploy properly. If a driver or passenger is leaning against a door or has their feet propped up on the dash just where the air bags are located, there could be a problem and a preventable injury could occur. The driver should leave at least 10 inches of space between their head and the steering wheel in order for the air bag to work correctly in the event of an impact. Knowing where the air bags are located and where the hazard light switch is together with any safety immobilizer device switches will save time in an emergency and allow you to cope with a traumatic situation more calmly. 

Speed Awareness

Just as driving too fast is certainly dangerous, driving too slowly can actually be more dangerous than speeding in certain situations. In high density traffic situations with many other users also sharing the road, a dawdler can create what is almost a roadblock. You should always aim to drive with the flow of the traffic and try not to hold up the flow whilst staying within legal speed limits. Understanding the use and consequences of speed is one of the crucial safety tips that you should consider learning more about in order to enjoy a statistically safer motoring experience. Learn to use your judgement in order to match your speed to the conditions, so that when it is raining or snowing you can stop and control your vehicle with the same efficiency as when it is clear and dry. Having basic speed awareness and thinking about the conditions you are driving in, will make you a safer driver and confirms that you know road safety is not just about buckling up but requires a bit of extra effort and thinking to maximize your chances of keeping you and your passengers safe.

 Author Bio:

Jamie McMackin is an amateur rally driver. He enjoys sharing his safety tips and insights on various driving blogs. Find out more about driving experiences on the Wish.co.uk website.

General Safety Issues

NATIONAL CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY WEEK

September 18 –24 is National Child Passenger Safety Week.  On September 24, there will be a National Seat check for parents to take their child seats for an inspection by certified CPS technicians.   When you shop for a new car, you want to know all the safety features it has; the same goes for the child seat that you choose for your little one.  Here are the stages of guidelines for child passenger safety, from the Centers for Disease Control:

  • Until Age 1/20 Lbs:  Keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of their particular seat.  At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 year and at least 20 lbs.
  • Until age 4/40 Lbs: After reaching age year 1 and at least 20 pounds, they may ride in forward-facing child seats, in the back seat.  This is appropriate until they reach age 4 and 40 lbs.
  • Until Age 8 or 4’9” Tall: Once children outgrow their forward facing seats, (at around age 4/40 lbs.), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly.  Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4”9” tall.
  • After Age 8 or 4’9” Tall: They may now use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belts fits across the chest.)
  • Children younger than 13 years old should ride in the back seat.  Never place a child in the front seat facing an airbag. 

Other information from the CDC from 2008, was that child safety seats reduced the risk of death in car crashes by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers ages one to four.  For children ages 4 to 7, booster seats reduced injury risk by 59% compared to safety belts alone.  There are many people who may be unaware of the risk they are taking by letting their child ride in the front seat.  I know a lady who was hit almost head-on by another car, whose eight-year old son was in the front seat, and was injured by the airbag.  It wasn’t too serious; however, I really don’t think she knew that he shouldn’t be riding in the front.  Kids want to ride “shotgun,” but it should become a habit to have them ride in the rear seat. 

Another safety tip: a child within reach of a seat belt may become entangled if he or she pulls the seat belt all the way out and wraps the belt around the head, neck or waist.  Never let the child lie down or sleep on the vehicle seat instead of being properly buckled in.  A good rule of thumb is to buckle unused seat belts.  One should never leave a child unattended in a vehicle and also teach children that seat belts are not toys. 

We’ve come a long way from the car seats we used when our kids were small.  Car seats fit in the middle of the front seat, hooked over the seats.  If they were not properly strapped in, they were like little projectiles!  I can also remember the times they would stand next to the driver, and we’d throw our right arm out to protect them if we thought someone was going to run into us.  It’s an old habit that I bet many of you remember, too.  If not, those were the “good old days!”  Our little ones were not as safe as they are now, thanks to child safety seats and other safety measures, such as child-door locks. 

You may check online at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s website to find a child safety seat inspection locator in your area.  Take the time to ensure that the seat you are using for your little passenger is secure. 

Source: CDC, NHTSA