Our Atlanta Auto accident attorneys know that child injuries and fatalities are all too common in Georgia car accidents and in accidents across the country. These children are always innocent victims in these tragic accidents, and many of these injuries or fatalities are preventable with proper safety restraints and car seats for children. We cannot guarantee that there won’t be negligent and reckless drivers on the road, but Georgians take action to make their own vehicles and families safer.
Properly Restraining Child Passengers
This is the subject of this week’s Child Passenger Safety Week in Georgia, when the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety will work with local organizations to teach adults how to properly restrain child passengers. Under Georgia law, all children under the age of eight must be restrained in the backseat of a vehicle in either a car seat or a booster seat. Local areas, such as Forsyth County and Bibb County, will be hosting events and free child safety seat inspections this week.
The free inspections are particularly important. During past checks, up to 90 percent of inspected car seats were improperly installed. In Bibb County, a previous check found 73 different seat violations earlier this year. Aside from looking to see whether the car seat is installed properly, the car seat inspectors will also educate parents, grandparents, and caregivers on the best way to install and use child safety seats. The program will ask these responsible adults to install the seat properly themselves under supervision to make sure they understand the procedure for the future. In Forsyth County, the local fire department is doing the checks and trainings. Division Chief Jason Shivers said, “As a fire department, we want to do all we can to help the children in Forsyth County be safe and secure when riding in vehicles.
Traffic Injury Prevention in Georgia
The Bibb County 2012 Traffic Injury Prevention Caravan will be travelling around this week. In addition to safety seat checks, it is also teaching booster seat and school bus safety at Sonny Carter Elementary School and Ingram-Pye Elementary School. At Howard High School and Rutland High School, the caravan will bring a rollover simulator and an impaired vision demonstration to teenagers, many of whom are learning to drive.
Child Injury Car Accident Advocates in Georgia
There are events for child passenger safety around the country and Georgia, so if you have a young child, be on the lookout for events in your neighborhood. Unfortunately, despite the best safety precautions and properly working car seats, sometimes nothing can protect you and your family from the dangerous driving of others. In that circumstance, seeking legal advice is critical. If you or someone in your family has been hurt by a negligent driver, the Atlanta Auto Accident Lawyers at Van Sant Law, LLC can help you determine if you have a case and how to move forward with possible legal options. Please call us at (800) 234-9556, or fill out our confidential online case evaluation form for a free consultation.