Correct Seating Position

How to Reduce the Risk of Injuries by Choosing the Correct Seating Position for Children in Cars

Car accidents are one of the main causes of death of children within the United States. However, most of the car accidents can be prevented if the correct measures are used when the children are seated in the car.

Seating Types
The seating type varies depending on the children’s age, and so you can use the following types, depending on your child’s age:
- For babies between 0 and 18 months old, the recommended seating type is a car safety seat. This type is compulsory in many states
- For children between 18 months and two and a half years old, it is mandatory to use a larger safety seat, to suit their body
- For toddlers, it is recommended to
use a booster seat, which you would fit into the car according to its requirements and recommendations
- For children who reached the age of 4-5 years old, it is enough to use the regular seat belt, as long as it is used properly.
According to a study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US, from 2010, it was discovered that the risk of getting injured in a car accident was reduced for children who were positioned in safety seats. On the other hand, children who weren’t seated properly were eight times more liable to be injured. For this, any Missouri car accident lawyer recommends that you seat your child accordingly in the safety seats, in order to prevent serious or even fatal injuries from occurring.

Positioning the Safe Seating
Additionally to using the restraints, it is also important to use the proper seating position, in order to keep the children safe in car accidents. Incapacitating injuries in car accidents are more likely to happen to children sitting in the front, than for children seated either in the rear or in the second row.
According to the American Association of Paediatrics, it is recommended that the child seat is positioned in the centre of the rear seats.
This positioning reduces the risk of injury, in comparison to the positioning on the outer sides of the rear seats.
How to ensure the safety and security of your child
There are some important recommendation regarding the positioning of children in the car, in order to prevent them from getting injured in a car accident. The main recommendation is to seat children in the rear seats, and the restraint system to work and be used properly.
- Young children need to be positioned in the centre of the rear seats, using a safety seat. Additionally, the safety seat needs to be provided with a belt, which you need to securely fasten before moving the car. It is the parents’ responsibility to ensure the child is seated comfortably and safe in their safety seat.
- Older children need to be seated on the rear seats, with the seat belt fastened accordingly before moving the car. It is important to correctly fasten the seat belt, so that it is neither too loose, nor too tight.
It is imperative to correctly position the children in the car, in order to prevent them from getting injured in a car accident. The parents are responsible for ensuring the safety and security of their children in the
car.
However, if your child gets injured in a car accident, you should contact a Missouri car accident lawyer to help you with your case.