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Florida renews child safety restriction law

There are very few things that cause a parent as much pain as seeing their child hurt. When a child is injured as a result of a car accident that occurs while the parent is driving, the blame can be overwhelming. Even if the parent is not at fault for the accident, it can be distressing to question whether there was anything he or she could have done to avoid injuring the child or children.

Unfortunately, one estimate indicates that approximately 650 children are killed each year in motor vehicle accidents and nearly 150,000 more are injured. Other research indicates that deaths among children due to car accidents are more than double that number at 1,500, with injuries as high as 175,000 a year. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, by the end of December 2014, five children had died and 145 had suffered injuries on Florida roads. These alarming statistics have caused tremendous concern among several national organizations that have launched various initiatives to promote child restraint systems. Suggestions from these various agencies may vary, but the goal is the same: reduce injuries and deaths among children involved in car accidents.

Florida locations of a national agency are providing parents with free booster seats. These seats are available for children between the ages of four and eight who weigh between 30 and 110 pounds and whose height varies between 3 feet and 4 inches. at 4 feet, 9 inches tall. The program is intended to assist parents of children who meet these requirements. Although you do not need to be a member of the agency to benefit from the program, the number of booster seats available is limited. Accordingly, these booster seats are provided to parents as they request while they are still available. Contact your local police to find out which agencies offer such programs.

The purpose of this program is to help parents comply with the new safety requirements that were implemented as a result of a recent change to Florida’s child restraint law. Previously, Florida law required children under the age of three to ride in a child safety seat, however, it allowed four- and five-year-olds to be restrained only with a seatbelt. However, as of January 1, 2015, children under the age of five must ride in a child safety seat (car seat) or booster seat.

Which of these two safety devices should be used depends on the height and weight of the child. Once the child exceeds the manufacturer’s size recommendation for a car seat, they are required to use a booster seat. There are some circumstances that allow exemption from this requirement. A four- or five-year-old may only wear a seatbelt when the driver is not a close relative, if there is a documented medical reason why the child cannot be in a booster seat, or if there is an emergency, but not there is no booster seat available for the child.

One national agency that monitors and promotes child safety restrictions is the Centers for Disease Control Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC, using a booster seat can minimize the risk of injury to children ages four to eight by as much as 45 percent. Accordingly, the CDC makes the following suggestions on when and how to use car seats and booster seats, as proposed by the American Academy of Pediatrics:

  • Rear-facing car seats are designed for children 2 years and younger or until they exceed the height / weight limitations of the car seat.
  • Forward-facing car seats are intended for children 2 to 5 years of age minimum. Again, the CDC suggests that the child remain in a forward-facing car seat until they reach the car seat height / weight limit, as recommended by the car seat manufacturer.
  • Booster seats are only supported for children 5 years and older who have exceeded the recommended height / weight limit for the forward-facing car seat, but have not yet reached the height of 57 “, which is the height for the car. exclusive use of the seat belt.

(Although these standards are upheld by the CDC, the laws governing child safety restrictions vary from state to state.)

Even among parents who use car seats and booster seats for their children, there are still many injuries to children that occur from improper use of these safety devices. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that four out of every five car seats or booster seats are installed incorrectly. This, along with not wearing an appropriate child restraint for height and weight, could be a contributing factor in motor vehicle crashes being the leading cause of death for children ages 2 to 14.

In addition to the weight, height, and age standards for having a child in a car safety seat, remember that to be buckled alone, the child must be able to sit fully back in the seat while having their legs bend over. knee over the edge of the seat. Also, the lap belt should fit across the child’s lap, not the stomach, and the shoulder strap should cross the child’s chest, not the throat.

“Seat belts save lives, but only when worn and used correctly,” said Terry Rhodes, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. “Booster seats help raise children to the height at which the seat belt will properly secure them.”

Once a child is old enough to wear only a seatbelt, always remember to place children under 12 in the back seat, where they are not sitting in front of an air bag. It’s also important to note that if you only have one child, buckling him in the middle of the back seat is the safest position for them in the event of a car accident.

It can be a headache when you rush to make sure your child’s car seat is installed correctly, especially if you use more than one vehicle, but only one car seat that transfers from one car to another. However, the few extra minutes it takes in the long run are definitely worth it if they prevent serious injury to your child. When using a child restraint, if you are unsure of how to properly and safely install it, always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions or you can visit http://cert.safekids.org/get-car-seat-checked to find a child passenger safety technician in your area, or you can find a directory of inspection locations on the NHTSA website.

The same is true for making sure your child has not outgrown the car seat. If you are shopping for larger clothes for your child or notice other indicators that the child is growing, then it is a safe bet that you may need to monitor the “fit” of the car’s restraint. Not having your child properly insured in a motor vehicle can result in a $ 60 fine, court costs, and three points that are assessed against your driver’s license. Although the fine and court cost may seem manageable, this can be quite costly when you factor in the cost those points will add to your auto insurance rates.

No one will dispute that keeping our children safe is paramount, but if you run into a traffic ticket for a child safety violation, call us at 954-967-9888 for a free consultation. We would like to see all children protected as much as possible when they are in a motor vehicle, but as traffic ticket attorneys, we also want to help ensure that your rights as a driver are protected.

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