As the summer vacation season begins, I wanted to let you know about a New Law that is very important to the safety of your children. This new Florida child safety seat law approved by legislators requires that children, up to age 6, be placed in car seats and restrained by a seat belt. Previously, this was only required for children up to 3 years of age.
What most people do not realize, and car manufacturers do not readily advertise, is that seat belts and shoulder harnesses are not designed for children. Auto seat belts are designed to protect adults, and in many cases, can be the actual cause of a serious injury or death to a child. This is due to a number of factors, including where the safety device rests on a child’s body, which is different than where it comes into contact on an adult’s body; and an inch or two higher or lower can make all the difference in the world.
While this new Florida child safety seat law only requires children to be in booster seats to age 6, it is strongly recommended that you keep your children in booster seats until they weigh at least 100 lbs or are five feet tall. While most children (including my own daughters) will resist this suggestion, it is for their safety that I make this recommendation. I can tell you from personal experience, including my 20 years of experience practicing law and as an attorney who has represented families of children who died or were seriously injured in auto accidents, no one suffers more than a parent who has lost a child or whose child was seriously injured.
I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe summer, and if you or someone you know is in an auto, motorcycle, trucking, slip/trip and fall accident or injured in any way, please have them call my office 24/7 at (877) 444-2929 for a free consultation.
