An Oregon car crash in Baker County killed a grandmother and her grandson yesterday when the Ford Explorer in which they were riding rolled down an embankment. The grandson, a four-month-old infant in an infant seat, was ejected from the SUV.
News reports of the fatal accident did not specify the model of the car seat used, so it is unclear whether a defective product may have contributed to the baby’s death. The seat may have been installed incorrectly. Under either possibility, however, perhaps the tragic result may contribute to helping another child and his or her loved ones by urging parents to check their child car seats and booster seats for safety. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”) statistics place motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for children age 3 to 6 and 8 to 14. Fatal crashes killed 6,532 kids 14 and younger in 2007.
Under ORS 811.210, Oregon law requires children under one year of age, regardless of weight, or any child weighing 20 pounds or less, to be properly secured with a child safety system in a rear-facing position. Children weighing up to 40 pounds must be secured in car seats meeting minimum standard requirements for child safety systems designed for children weighing 40 pounds or less. Children over 40 pounds in weight but under 4 feet 9 inches in height must use booster seats and properly secured safety belts or harnesses. All other passengers and drivers, of course, are also required to wear properly secured safety belts or harnesses.
Car seats can be defective, recalled, or expired. They can break when you need them most. They can also be hard to install correctly. The NHTSA estimates that close to 3 out of 4 parents do not use child car safety restraints properly. Part of the reason may be that child car safety restraint manufacturers may not have designed their products or instructions to make them easy to use. Approximately 36% of car seat models evaluated by NHTSA received below average or poor ratings for overall ease of use. A free car seat inspection can help prevent a child from suffering head injury, neck injury, paralysis, or other serious injuries or death.
Related web resources
NHTSA Child Safety Seat Inspection Station Locator
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Child Restraint Recalls by Manufacturer
American Academy of Pediatrics, Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2009
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