Child Safety In America Research Paper

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Recommended: Child protection in a wider concept

Nicholas Menezes Mrs. Morgan English 15(13) 9 November 2015 Saving Children in America “Car accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 1-12 years old” (Nienstedt 140). The disturbing fact is many of these unfortunate accidents could have been prevented with the use of proper child restraints. Many of motor vehicle deaths involving child are because a child safety seat was not used or not properly installed. In the United States there are some crucial steps that must be taken in order to reduce the number of future death due to caregiver negligence. Child safety seat law should be made of a national level in order to eliminate any gaps in the current state-to-state child safety seats laws. Theses law need to be made to reflect …show more content…

When a child is first born the infant is placed in a rear-facing car seat. These seats keep the child reclined at a slight angle facing the rear of the vehicle. It is recommenced that a child be keep in the rear-facing car seat until the child reaches the weight and height limit specified but the child safety seat manufacturer, usually around 2 years of age or 22 to 40 pounds. When a child is no longer able to be safely restrained in a rear-facing seat the child then graduates to a front-facing seat. These seats commonly include a five-point harness and allow the child able to sit straight up. Caregivers are encouraged to keep their children in the five-point harness for the maximum amount of time recommended by the manufacturer. Children usually remain in the forward-facing car seat until they are about 4 years of age (“Car seats”). All children who have grown out of a forward facing seat should then be place in a booster seat. These seats are designed for children who are too big for a forward facing car seat but are still to small to fit properly in an adult seat belt. Children must remain in a booster seat until he or she has reached four feet nine inches, usually around 8 to 12 years of age (Ebel …show more content…

Many state have legislations with high safety standards which require what is safest for child passengers, but this is not so for many others. Inconsistencies in legislation translate into difficultly enforcing child safety seat laws and low safety standards misguide caregivers who may use the laws to determine what is safest their child. In addition, many state fines for child restraint violation are not in accordance with the severity of the offence; Steeper penalties for violator would convey the seriousness of the offence and urge parents and caregivers the adhere to the law. One solution that would make motor vehicle travel safer for child occupants would be nationally regulated child safety seat legislation, which would quickly and effectively insure safe standards are consistent

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