One goal shared by the personal injury lawyers at Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin is helping families understand the importance of child restraints in preventing Indiana car accident injuries and fatalities and the steps they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones from serious injuries in motor vehicle accidents.
Car crashes remain a leading cause of death and injury among children in the United States. In 2024, 677 children age 14 and younger were killed in traffic crashes while riding in passenger vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Properly used child safety seats and booster seats can significantly reduce the risk of serious or fatal injuries.
Indiana law requires children under the age of 8 to be properly restrained in a federally approved child restraint system, such as a car seat or booster seat, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Children ages 8 through 15 must be properly restrained by either a child restraint system or a seat belt.
Parents should not rely solely on a child’s age or weight when deciding when to move a child from one type of restraint to another. Instead, parents should follow the height and weight requirements provided by the car seat manufacturer to ensure the restraints properly protect them from injury in the event of a car crash in Indiana.
Indiana State Police recommends keeping children rear-facing for as long as possible, within the limits of the car seat. Once a child outgrows a rear-facing seat, the child can transition to a forward-facing seat with a harness. After outgrowing that seat, a belt-positioning booster seat may be appropriate until the vehicle’s seat belt fits the child properly.
Simply having a car seat in the vehicle does not necessarily mean a child is adequately protected. The seat must be appropriate for the child’s size and must be installed and used correctly. NHTSA reports that 46% of car seats and booster seats had at least one major error involving installation or use in a nationally representative study.
Common mistakes can include failing to secure the seat tightly, using the wrong type of restraint for a child’s size, improperly positioning harness straps, or moving a child to a booster seat or seat belt too soon.
Indiana provides families with access to child passenger safety resources, including locations where caregivers can have child restraint systems inspected by certified child passenger safety technicians to help prevent injuries and fatalities in Indiana car crashes.
Using the appropriate child restraint can make a substantial difference in reducing severe injury and risk of fatality in the event of a car collision in Indiana. According to NHTSA, properly installed car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury in a passenger vehicle crash by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers.
“Parents can’t control every circumstance that may happen on the road, but they can take steps to give their children the best possible protection if a crash occurs,” said attorney Caleb Fleschner of Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin. “Taking the time to choose the right car seat and making sure it is properly installed is a simple step that can make an enormous difference when a child is involved in a collision.”
Parents should also remember that children should generally remain in the back seat, which Indiana safety officials recommend as the safest seating location for children.
Before putting your child in the car, make sure you are following safety precautions. You should ensure:
Children should also remain properly restrained on every trip, even when traveling a short distance, to help prevent car accident injuries and fatalities in Indiana.
At Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin, we have seen firsthand how devastating a motor vehicle collision can be for a child and an entire family. Understanding the importance of child restraints in preventing Indiana car accident injuries and fatalities and taking appropriate precautions before a crash occurs can help reduce the risk of serious injury. If your child has been injured in a crash, our car accident attorneys can help you understand your legal options and determine whether you may have a personal injury claim. Call us today.
Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin
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The financial burden that often comes with a serious injury can be too much for many people to bear. Unexpected medical debt, damaged personal property, and the sudden loss of income can impact the budgets of most families. The good news is that a successful injury claim could help reduce that financial strain after a serious accident. Get in touch with a Terre Haute personal injury lawyer with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin to learn more.
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