Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By Scott A. Marks, Attorney and David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
The California Highway Patrol (CHP), Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and Child Doula Services have come together to conduct monthly inspections for child passenger safety. According to CHP Officer Paul Dahlen the goal is to educate not enforce. Hopefully educating those drivers with child passengers will reduce child personal injury and child death statewide. Properly installing child safety seats is a state-wide issue. Dahlen stated that 90 percent of inspected car seats are improperly installed. Proper installation of child safety seats is important because it can reduce the chance of a child being ejected from the vehicle during a crash, as well as decrease a child’s chance of sustaining severe personal injuries or being killed. Under the current California law, children must be secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint (either car or booster seat) until the child is at least 6-years-old or weighs 60 pounds or more. The current fine for violating this law can be significant, 435 plus add points to an individual’s driving records. For more on this topic please see California officials to inspect child safety seats.
Most states have laws for child passenger restraints that are governed by both a child’s weight and height. Proper fitting and installing of a child safety seat can prevent your child from sustaining serious, critical and severe personal injuries.