Car Accidents And Car Seats

By Author: Danny Aaron
Total Articles: 67
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There are millions of people on the roads on a regular basis. These drivers and passengers range from all ages, including babies and children. In most countries it is the law that a child under the age of 5 must be strapped into a car seat at all times whilst in a moving motor vehicle. Unfortunately it happens all too often that one sees children sitting loose on the back seat of the car, or even worse, sitting on the lap of the passenger in the front seat.

The dangers of having a child in a moving vehicle without being strapped in are numerous. Babies and children have much weaker necks and bones than older children and adults. The force of a strong impact can severely damage or even kill a young child or baby, as a seatbelt will not be sufficient protection. Even more dangerous is keeping a young baby or child on a lap in a vehicle. Most people think that their arms would be strong enough to hold the child in the case of an accident, however, what they do not realize is that the momentum that a small child will have, sitting on a lap while the passenger is strapped in, is so great that they will simply be ripped from ...
... the arms of the person trying to restrain the child and hurled through the front window of the car. The best thing to do to protect your precious cargo is to purchase a good quality car seat, installed correctly. Most of these seats can also not be installed in the front seat of the car any more due to the airbags that are installed in modern cars. While these airbags are a good idea to protect passengers, they are not such a good idea where car seats are concerned. Before installing a seat, make sure that you follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.

There is some confusion about car seats that have been involved in an accident. Most people are unaware of the fact that a car seat that has been involved in a collision should not be used again. Even if the accident was minor, you may be unaware of hidden damage to the seat. There are intense internal structures in the car seat which give it its safety stamp of approval and these might be damaged by the collision even though you might not be able to see this damage with the naked eye.

If you are involved in collision, you will need to have your child's car seat checked over by an authorized safety manufacturer to ensure that it is still fit for use. In most cases it is a better idea to purchase a brand new car seat after an accident, to ensure the safety of your little one.
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