Palm Beach County, FL – The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has declared the week of Sept. 12-18 National Child Passenger Safety Week, bringing attention to the need for the proper use and installation of child safety seats. Murray Guari Trial Attorneys are advocates for child safety seats and encourage all parents to have their seats correctly fitted and installed to protect their child in the event of an accident.
In 2007, among children under 5, an estimated 358 lives were saved from the use of child safety seats and booster seats. If all children under the age of 5 were restrained, an additional 71 children would have been saved.
For maximum child passenger safety, West Palm Beach attorney and parent Scott Murray advised parents and caregivers to refer to the following guidelines for determining which restraint system is best suited to protect children based on age and size:
1. For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds.
2. When children outgrow their rear-facing seats (at least age 1 and at least 20 pounds) they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats, in the back seat, until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).
3. Once children outgrow their forward-facing seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds), they should ride in booster seats, in the back seat, until the vehicle seat belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9″ tall).
4. When children outgrow their booster seats, (usually at age 8 or when they are 4’9″ tall) they can use the adult seat belts in the back seat, if they fit properly (lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest).
Remember: All children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat. Our law firm has a free educational brochure, video and program designed to help parents properly use child safety seats. For more information, to request the brochure or view the video, please visit our website at www.murrayguari.com.
For more information on Child Passenger Safety Week, a national effort to remind parents and caregivers of the lifesaving effect child safety seats have in protecting young children, please visit www.nhtsa.gov/cps.
Scott Murray and Jason Guari are partners in the law firm of Murray Guari Trial Attorneys PL. The firm founded in 2005, and is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, at 1525 N. Flagler Drive. Scott Murray and Jason Guari can be contacted at (561) 366-9099. Additional information about Murray Guari Trial Attorneys PL may be obtained from the firm’s website at www.murrayguari.com.
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Tracy Vaspoli, Murray Guari Trial Attorneys
(561) 366-9099
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