A single car accident has claimed the life of a 5 year old Alabama child. According to a report, the motor vehicle accidenthappened on Chilton County Alabama Road 146 when the driver lost control of her vehicle and struck an embankment. The child, who was not restrained, was ejected from the driver side passenger window. Tragically, the report notes that a child restraint was in the car but not used.
According to a CDC report, restraint use among young children depends the driver’s seat belt use. “Almost 40% of children riding with unbelted drivers were themselves unrestrained.” Further, research indicates that 72% of children are improperly restrained in their car and booster seats in ways that can be expected to increase a child’s risk of injury during a car wreck. When properly restrained, child safety seats can reduce the risk of death in automobiles by 71% for infants, and 54% for toddlers’ ages 1 to 4 years.
In response to these statistics, the Alabama legislature in July of 2006 amended Alabama’s child restraints law. Alabama Code section 32-5-222 mandates the following:
- Infant only seats and convertible seats used in the rear facing position for infants until at least one year of age or 20 pounds.
- Convertible seats in the forward position or forward facing seats until the child is at least five years of age or 40 pounds.
- Booster seats until the child is six years of age.
- Seat belts until 15 years of age.
As Huntsville Alabama car wreck lawyers, over the years we have tragically seen lives that could have been saved if only the child was properly restrained. It’s imperative that parents take the time to properly restrain their children every time they get behind the wheel.