Child Injury Prevention Week - Child Car Crash Statistics

In order to educate people about preventable child injuries, September 3rd - September 7th is national child injury prevention week. Too many children are hurt from accidents that could have been avoided. More children are hurt in car accidents than anything else.

The U.S. Government's Department of Health and Human Services tracks the number of children injured and killed. 4 children died and 504 were hurt each day on average in car accidents in 2005. 25% of these children, according to the car crash statistics, were hurt in a car accident because of a drunk driver. You know, many accidents are unavoidable no matter what you do, but one of the surprising car crash statistics the government gives is that one of the major causes of child car injuries is "improper use of a car or booster seat."

If a car or booster seat is positioned or used incorrectly, children can get hurt and possibly even killed. What is so sad about many car accident injuries is that many of them are preventable. When you use car or booster seats always be sure to follow the directions exactly for the type of car you drive and the type of child seat. What else can you do?

1. Always wear a seat belt. Children look up to and imitate adults as role models. If you don't use a seat belt, chances are your children won't either. Always make sure to buckle up!

2. If your child is under 12 years old, they should ride in the back seat. Front air bags are not made for little kids, and they can get seriously hurt riding in the front seat.

3. You should keep your children in booster seats until age 8 or until they are at least 4 feet and 9 inches tall. Properly used booster seats, according to car crash statistics, are able to prevent the risk of major injury by almost 60%.

4. Support continuing education and enforcement campaigns in your community. If we are able to educate our children on vehicle safety, the chances that they will be safer are significantly higher. As you know, it's impossible to watch every single little thing your child does—you have to be sure to teach them safety and responsibility so that they can take good care of themselves!

The sad fact after all of this is that not every car accident is preventable. While it is important to take every precaution we can, bad things can and do happen to people who never deserve it. Children who are hurt in a car accident face a lot of challenges that an adult may not face. A child that has been hurt in a car accident is a tragedy. Talking to a great car accident attorney can help prevent further harm. It is important to take every measure to get the help that an injured child needs.

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