Infant Car Seat Safety
Infants are at a greater risk of injury in car crashes due to their still developing spines and their heads, which are large for their bodies. This is why it is important that your infant ride in a rear-facing car seat. In the event of an accident, a rear-facing car seat provides support to the neck, spine, and head, whereas infants placed in a front-facing car seat are at risk of suffering spinal damage, which can result in serious injury or death.
According to recent research, children up to two (2) years of age that are placed in forward-facing safety seats are more likely to be seriously injured in a car crash than children of the same age who ride in rear-facing car seats. To ensure that your infant is protected while riding in the car, experts recommend the following:
- Follow all manufacturer instructions for your particular car seat and make sure that your seat isn’t over six (6) years old or has reached its expiration date-if you don’t know the history of the car seat, or the seat was involved in a crash, do not use it.
- Keep your infant and toddler in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible-until they reach the height and weight limits allowed by their car seat. Most car seats allow for children to ride in this position for two years or more.
- Do not recline the safety seat more than 45 degrees.
- Always use the rear-facing car seat in the back seat of the car. Front passenger airbags will seriously injure your child in the event of an accident.
- The shoulder straps should be at or below your child’s shoulders. Child safety seats have multiple harness slots to adjust to fit your child as they grow. Make sure the top of the chest clip is positioned at the infant’s armpit level, straps lie in a straight line and do not sag or twist, and the harness is snug.
- Never place a blanket between your infant and the harness straps or use a blanket under your infant and do not dress your infant in bulky outerwear-it can interfere with the tightness of the harness.
- There should be at least one inch between the top of your infant’s head and the top of the car seat. Once their head reaches the top, they are too big for a rear-facing car seat.
If you are unsure about installing and using an infant car seat, the federal government has set up child safety seat inspection stations around the country, and local municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement agencies, and fire departments also offer installation assistance and training.
If your child has been injured in an accident, 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.
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Helping our clients is about counseling, advocating, and ultimately solving problems. With years of experience successfully representing the people, not the powerful, we will take care of the insurance adjusters, your medical bills, your property damage, your lost wages, and monitor your treatment so you can focus on healing and getting your life back to normal. Our unique formula has earned us over 900 outstanding client reviews on our website, an A+ BBB rating, and over 120 five-star reviews on Google. Call 888-572-0176, e-mail us at michael@agrusslawfirm.com, or schedule meeting with us here. We’re here 24/7.
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