Studies Support Use of Rear-Facing Car Seats
When transporting their children on bustling California roads and freeways, parents want to do all they can to prevent their children from being injured in a car accident. Using an appropriate safety device can go a long way in ensuring that kids are safe from injury, but deciding what form of safety device works best isn’t always simple. A recent study from Ohio State University looked at whether rear-facing car seats prevented injuries even in rear-end crashes, and the results were able to provide further support for the use of these forms of child restraint. Read on to learn more and get help from a seasoned Antelope Valley personal injury lawyer if your child has been hurt in a crash.
The number one cause of death for children up to age 19 is car accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That said, a properly-installed and fastened child safety restraint can reduce the risk of fatal injury by up to 71%. Experts recommend using rear-facing car seats for young children, since research has found that these seats do a better job at distributing the impact force of a crash. In fact, California law mandates rear-facing car seat use for children under age 2 or who are under 40 lbs. But some parents worry that a rear-facing seat will leave their child at risk of being thrown into the front seat back, injuring their head and neck.
The Ohio State University Injury Biomechanics Research Center decided to examine this question, testing whether rear-facing car seats were as successful as front-facing seats in preventing head and neck injuries during rear-end collisions. The team found that rear-facing seats were an excellent choice to prevent injury even when the car was involved in a rear-end collision. The study’s lead author explained that, “with a rear impact, we would expect occupants to be ‘pulled’ toward the rear of the vehicle according to basic physics. When a child is in a rear-facing car seat in this scenario, the car seat actually stays with the child and continues to support the head and spine.” When children are injured in serious California car accidents despite their parents’ best efforts at preventing harm, these families may be entitled to money damages from the negligent or reckless driver who caused their injuries.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a crash in Southern California, find out if you’re owed money for these injuries by contacting the skilled and knowledgeable Palmdale personal injury lawyer Paul M. Kistler for a free evaluation of your case, at 661-206-6990.
