Skip to content

Children and Car Safety Facts

Michael Agruss

Written and Reviewed by Michael Agruss

  • Managing Partner and Personal Injury Lawyer at 844SeeMike.
  • Over 20 years of experience in Personal Injury.
  • Graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Juris Doctor, 2004.

Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 13 and younger, and the CDC attributes this in part to a large number of children riding in vehicles without a child safety seat, booster seat, or seatbelt: as many as 618,000 children in one year alone, resulting in 638 deaths and more than 127,000 injuries. The Community Preventative Services Task Force recommends stricter seatbelt laws, better car seat distribution, and more ambitious educational programs to combat these preventable injuries and fatalities among children.

Here are five important facts about children and car safety:

  • Most accidents involving children happen near the home, such as the neighborhood park, at the grocery store, or on local residential streets, which is why shorter trips should be taken just as seriously as longer trips. “And never forget to use your own seatbelt,” says Marilena Amoni of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). “Kids watch everything you do, so it’s important that you set the right example.”
  • Young children are generally more prone to accidents than babies and toddlers, and it’s important to ensure their safety even as they grow out of certain types of car seats and into new ones or adjust to not being in one at all.
  • SUVs are not necessarily safer than regular sedans, and this is supported by crash tests which have also shown they may be more likely to roll over, especially in single-vehicle accidents involving lost control. Lower vehicles such as crossovers and station-wagons are safer on average than the larger and higher vehicles. Electronic stability and/or anti-roll control are highly recommended for SUV drivers.
  • Even a stationary car can be dangerous, and children should never be left alone in a running vehicle for a significant period of time. Serious accidents and injuries can occur when a child unintentionally shifts a gear or releases an emergency brake and sets the car in motion (especially if there are people or children outside the car), and more than 200 children per year lose their lives in non-traffic auto accidents such as these.
  • Always keep an eye on the vehicles around you and your child when you are outside, even near home. A Safe Kids Worldwide survey found that more than 50% of drivers have exceeded speed-limits in school zones and nearly one-third have failed to stop at stop signs in residential areas containing children.

If your child has been injured in an accident due to another’s negligence, contact 844 See Mike for a free consultation. We are a Chicago-based injury law firm representing individuals (and their families) who have suffered an injury in an accident. We will handle your case quickly and advise you every step of the way, and we will not hesitate to go to trial for you.

Lastly, 844 See Mike is not paid attorneys’ fees unless we win your case. Our no-fee promise is that simple. You have nothing to risk when you hire us – only the opportunity to seek justice.

Submitted Comments

No Comments submitted yet. Sharing your story will help others!

We are listening

We will respond to you at lightning speed. All of your information will be kept confidential.

Form successfully submitted!