Brain Injury Attorney Blog

This weekend in Myrtle Beach, a local children's store is helping the community by ensuring the proper placement of child safety seats in vehicles. Safety seats aren't just for babies; depending on the child's height and weight, they may require a child safety seat for the most part of their early lives. According to SCNow.com, "Child car seats are often used incorrectly. The American Academy of Pediatrics and The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released new recommendations that children should stay rear facing until the age of two, instead of one, and children should remain in a belt-positioning booster seat until the child reaches 4 feet 9 inches."

Child car seats must be installed properly to keep the child safe during a car crash. "One study found that 72% of nearly 3,500 observed car and booster seats were misused in a way that could be expected to increase a child’s risk of injury during a crash. Experts say child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants, and by 54% for toddlers ages 1 to 4 years." Each state in the U.S. has laws defining the age at which children must be restrained by a safety seat. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that, in South Carolina, children aged 5 years or younger must be in a restraint or booster seat. South Carolina also has one of the highest fines in the country for not obeying this law; the maximum fine is $150.

If you're unsure about a safety seat for your child, the NHTSA recommends that you 1) select a car seat based on your child's age, height and weight, 2) keep your child in the proper car seat as long as possible, and 3) keep all children under the age of 13 in the back seat of your vehicle. There are also certified technicians in your area that can inspect your car seat installation at no charge. Once you purchase a child seat, you can even have it registered so you will be notified of defects and recalls.

If you or your child is injured in a car accident, you will need to hire a personal injury lawyer. If this accident occurs in South Carolina, you can rely on a Myrtle Beach personal injury attorney at The Mace Firm.