How can I protect my children during a car accident in South Carolina?

Being in a car accident is always scary and stressful, but getting into a car accident when your children are in the car can greatly amplify those emotions. Even though you do everything you can to protect your children from harm, there are some things that are out of your control. No matter how safe and cautious you are when you’re driving, accidents happen. However, the good news is that there are steps that you can take to ensure that your children are the safest they can be in the event that you’re involved in an accident.

If you and your family have been involved in an accident, contact an experienced car accident attorney in South Carolina. The time after an accident is already hard enough, but contacting an attorney to help you manage the aftermath of the accident can give you the chance to be there for your family and to focus on your collective recovery. 

What Can I Do To Keep My Children Safe During an Accident?

Always Use a Car Seat 

Using a car seat with children who are small enough to still need one is the most important thing you can do to ensure the safety of your child if they are involved in an accident. 

Even though it may seem like a long time, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAC) recommends that children ride in car seats until they are about 4’9” tall. Additionally, when children are very young, it is recommended that they are seated in backward-facing car seats. 

Though these are general guidelines, it is always best to check the recommendations of the specific make and model of your car seats to see what is appropriate for your family. You can check with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to help you make decisions regarding the safest car seat for your children.

Properly Install Your Car Seats

In addition to always placing your children in their car seats for every ride, even for very short ones, another thing you can do to ensure their safety is to guarantee that their car seats are properly installed. 

You should consult the safety manual that is included with the car seat while installing. Additionally, you can always have a professional install the car seat, or take your installed seat to a local safety check where professionals will make sure the car seat is installed correctly.

Ensure Your Child Is Buckled Correctly

Every time you put your children in a car seat, check and double-check to ensure that they are buckled in correctly. 

It is important to read the safety manual to ensure proper placement of straps and also to ensure that the straps and buckles are tightened appropriately. It takes just a second to double-check that your child is buckled in correctly, and it can help save your child from injury should they ever be involved in an accident.

Your Child Should Always Be in the Backseat 

The backseat tends to be the safest area of the car, as it is the farthest away from some of the most common places of impact during wrecks — the front and rear endS. 

From the time they are very little, the front seat is the most dangerous place in the car for children. The front seat is not designed to accommodate children’s smaller bodies, and the placement of airbags means that children are at an increased risk of death. Even rear-facing car seats should always be placed in the back seat.

Pull Over If You’re Distracted

Distracted driving is one of the most common reasons why wrecks occur. Even minor things, such as looking down to adjust the airflow or changing the radio station can cause a driver to take their eyes off the road for enough time for something to change that needs a quick reaction. 

There are a million little things competing for your attention while driving, and driving with children in the car adds a whole new level of potential distraction! If your baby is being fussy, or is wiggling around too much, or drops their pacifier on the floor, instead of trying to fix those situations while driving, just pull over. It may feel inconvenient and take a few more minutes, but it will be worth it, in the long run, to know that you’re helping keep your children safe.

Contact an Experienced Car Accident Attorney

If you and your family have been involved in a car accident, contact one of the experienced attorneys from Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers. With almost 40 years of combined experience fighting for accident victims, one of our attorneys will be able to advocate for your family, allowing you to be able to dedicate your time to help your family recover.Call us at 800-559-5741 or contact us online to schedule your complimentary, no-obligation consultation with one of our lawyers. During your consultation, we will listen to the facts of your case and provide you with individualized advice about how to best move forward. We want to fight for you, making sure that you and your family have the best possible chance at recovering the maximum amount of money so that you can begin to rebuild your life after an accident.