A 3 year-old boy was killed in his mother’s car because he was not properly restrained in his car seat. His mother’s vehicle went out of control and hit a concrete wall when she sideswiped a tractor trailer on I-95 near Bonyton Beach. The little boy and his carseat went flying around the inside of the vehicle and he hit the side of the car. Emergency personnel said that because the seat was not properly anchored, it didn’t matter what speed the car hit the concrete, “that the child then became a projectile and hit the other side of the car.” Both the mother and another passenger had only minor injuries as a result of the crash. However, this 22 year-old mother from Guatemala has tragically lost her son, and now may be charged in his death.
The U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino says
Every day, five of our children are killed and another 640 are injured on our roads. Car seats, booster seats and other restraints are a proven way to keep our children safe and an inexpensive investment in their future.
In February of this year National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration called upon all manufacturers, retailers and consumer groups to push for child restraints that are earier to install. NHTSA Administrator Nicole Nason has said
Properly installing a car seat should not be a daunting process for parents. Our children are precious and parents and caregivers must have the information they need to properly install their car seats
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To find out if your child’s restraint seat is properly installed, go to a free inspection station near you. One can be located by your zip code on the NHTSA site, or you can call them a 1-888-327-4236.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Defective and Dangerous Products.
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