Seat Belts and Rancho Bernardo Injuries: What You Should Know

North County Injury Lawyers — Sat, 20 Mar 2021 01:38:25 GMT

Whether you are involved in a motor vehicle collision in Rancho Bernardo or elsewhere in Southern California, you may already know just how important seat belts are to preventing serious and fatal injuries. Yet many vehicle occupants still do not buckle up, especially when they are sitting in the back seat of a car or SUV. A recent article in Bankrate addresses the history of seat belts and motor vehicle safety and considers who far we have come by 2021. We want to discuss some of those considerations with you here and to urge you to seek advice from a Rancho Bernardo car accident attorney if you need help filing a claim for financial compensation.

Long History of Motor Vehicles and Limited Seat Belt Use

According to the Bankrate article, seat belts have been around for much longer than you might think. To be sure, this safety device actually dates back to the 19th century—long before a majority of Americans owned any kind of vehicle—yet they have not been used as widely as many safety advocates would like. Indeed, by 1980, only about 10% of Americans reported that they wore seat belts when driving a car or occupying a passenger seat in a vehicle. Those numbers improved significantly in the late twentieth century and into the twenty-first century. By 2019, just over 90% of Americans report that they wear a seat belt whether driving or riding in an automobile.

Yet that number still leaves about 10% of the American population, and those people make up a startling number of the vehicle accident fatalities reported in recent years. Indeed, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that more than 37,000 people were killed in motor vehicle collisions in 2017, and approximately 50% of those people who sustained deadly injuries were not wearing a seat belt. The NHTSA predicts that more than 2,500 of those people would have survived the collision if they had buckled up as recommended.

Seat Belts Save Lives

It is critical to know that seat belts do save lives, and it is essential to buckle up. According to the NHTSA, between the years 1960 and 2012, seat belts saved nearly 330,000 lives in motor vehicle collisions. That figure does not even take into account the effects of improved safety devices and tools in automobiles, such as airbags, anti-lock brakes, and electronic stability control.

Studies suggest that seat belts can reduce the risk of death in a collision for front seat occupants by about 45%, and that seat belts in the front seat can reduce the risk of a serious nonfatal injury by about 50%. Younger Americans aged 34 and under are less likely than older drivers and vehicle occupants. Accordingly, future safety initiatives may benefit from focusing on motorists and occupants in that age group, according to Bankrate.

Contact a Rancho Bernardo Auto Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one sustained serious injuries in a motor vehicle collision, you should seek advice from our Rancho Bernardo car accident attorneys about filing a claim for compensation. Contact the Walton Law Firm to learn more about how we can assist you with your lawsuit.

Child Injury Prevention and Car Seat Requirements in California

North County Injury Lawyers — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 17:22:39 GMT

Beginning on January 1, 2017, residents of San Diego County will have to abide by a new law concerning child injury prevention and auto accident safety. According to a recent article in the Benito Link, as of the first of the year—just a few months away now—California residents will have to pay close attention to a new law that requires children who are under the age of 2 to ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are only a couple of exceptions to the recently passed law. If the child weighs 40 pounds or more, or if the child is 40 inches tall or greater, then the child is not subject to the terms of the new law, even if she or he is under the age of 2.

What else should you know about this law? And will it help to prevent child injuries in serious car accidents?

Comparing California’s Car Seat Laws and Child Seat Safety

In addition to the age requirement specified by the new law, there is another part of the law that parents should understand. Regardless of whether your child is required by law to ride in a rear-facing seat—those under the age of 2 regardless of the child’s weight and/or height—there are additional requirements: the child also must be “secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat,” according to a fact sheet from the California Highway Patrol (CHP). As such, parents will need to pay particular attention to the safety requirements provided by the car seat manufacturer.

How does the new law compare to the one that is currently in effect? As the CHP fact sheet explains, current California law requires children who are under the age of 8 to be secured in a car seat or a booster seat, and they must be in the back seat of the automobile, unless they have reached the height of 4’9”. For children between the ages of 8 and 15, as well as those under the age of 8 who are 4’9” or taller, still must sit in the back seat and be secured with a safety belt. For passengers who are at least 16 years old, standard safety laws—including California’s Mandatory Seat Belt law—are applicable.

As you can see, current law does not address safety requirements aimed specifically at younger children, including infants and toddlers.

Ensuring that You Comply with California Law on Child Safety Seats

How can you be certain that you are complying with the law? In addition to ensuring that your toddler or infant is secured in a rear-facing car seat in the back, it may be difficult to ascertain, with certainty, whether you are also abiding by the manufacturer’s safety instructions. As the article in Benito Link highlights, the CHP is co-hosting a number of child safety seat events with organizations such as AAA Insurance and Safe Kids California.

In a parking lot near you, you may be able to meet with a CHP officer who can perform a “Car seat safety check-up” for you to ensure that you are abiding by the new law that will go into effect in January.

In the meantime, if your child got hurt in a car accident, you may be able to file a claim for compensation. An experienced San Diego car accident attorney can help. Contact the Walton Law Firm today for more information.

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Seat Belts and Rancho Bernardo Injuries: What You Should Know

Child Injury Prevention and Car Seat Requirements in California