The Miami Herald recently reported on the tragic death of three children on the Florida Turnpike.
Our Fort Lauderdale personal injury lawyers know there is nothing more heartbreaking than the loss of child in a senseless South Florida car accident.
A blown tire caused the SUV the children were riding in to hit a retaining wall, collide into another vehicle and flip over. Three children were thrown from the SUV and died at the scene of the horrible crash. Two children and the driver survived the accident and were taken to the hospital for treatment. One child is home recovering, the other child and driver remain in the hospital.
The ages of the children killed in the crash were 1, 11 and 12; the two surviving children were 8 and 14.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported in 2009 that 1,314 children ages 14 and younger were killed and an additional 179,000 sustained injuries in car crashes. The leading cause of death for children 3 to 14 years old is motor vehicle accidents. During 2009, Florida had 70 children age 14 or younger die in traffic-related accidents.
In 2009, there were 5,366 children age 14 and younger involved in fatal passenger vehicle accidents in the U.S. Of those who sustained fatal injuries, 46% were unrestrained. Statistics show that using child safety seats reduce the risk of fatalities to infants by 71% and 54% for toddlers.
The NHTSA guidelines for buckling up kids in the car include:
Up to 1 year
-Use a rear-facing car seat, its protective harness moves with the child, reducing the stress to the child’s fragile body.
1 – 3 years
-Use a forward-facing car seat, its harness prevents forward movement in a crash.
4 – 7 years
-Use a booster seat, which helps the child fit into an adult seat belt.
8 – 12 years
-Use a properly fitting seat belt.
The NHTSA estimates that over the last 3 decades 9,310 children have been saved by the use of child safety seats or adult seat belts while riding in passenger vehicles.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach or the surrounding areas, contact the personal injury lawyers at Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez. Call for a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights at 1-800-529-2368.