Child Injury Lawyer Blog
By David Wolf, Attorney
Published by Child Injury Lawyer Network
When transporting children, it is important that all parents, babysitters, schools, day care centers, and summer camps follow safety measures for the protection of the children. One basic safety measure is the use of proper child safety seats and seat belts when transporting children. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration publishes a very helpful guide for child safety seats. All parents and transporters of children should print out this guide and review it to make sure that all necessary and reasonable safety measures are taken while transporting children. See NHTSA Car Seat Recommendations for Children. NHTSA recommends the following:
Children (ages Birth – 12 months) should be placed in a rear facing car seat.
Children (ages 1 – 3 years old) should remain in a rear facing seat as long as possible and according to the recommendations of the manufacturer of the car seat.
Children (ages 4 – 7 years old) should be a forward facing seat until the child reaches the height and weight according to the recommendations of the manufacturer of the car seat.
Children (ages 8 – 12 years old) should be placed in a booster seat until the child is big enough to properly fit in a seat belt equipped with the vehicle.
Proper seating can help better protect children when there is an automobile accident.