Hey dummy!
No. Not you. We’re talking about the new child dummy that’s going to help keep your kid safe in the event of a car accident in Phoenix. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there’s a brand new kid dummy that was recently unveiled. This little dummy is going to help test our car seats and booster seats that were created for child who weight more than 65 pounds and less than 80 pounds. The new “10-year-old kid” dummy is the latest addition to the family of NHTSA test dummies. It’s now considered to be the best tool out there that can measure the risks of injury for children who use higher-weight car seats in the event of an accidentAs car seat manufacturer’s work to create more specific car seats to meet the needs of consumers and their children, it is getting tougher and tougher to test each seat thoroughly because there are so many kinds available. The new dummy is helping researchers to tackle these new child car seats with the new weight requirements.
Our Phoenix child injury attorneys understand that car accidents are the leading cause of death for those aged 3- to 14-years-old. According to the NHTSA, there were nearly 1,500 children of this young age group who were killed in car accidents across the nation in 2009. In addition to these fatalities, there were another 200,000 young passengers who were injured in these types of incidents. This means that about 4 kids were killed and another 490 were injured in these crashes every single day. A large number of these injuries and deaths could have been prevented if these children were properly buckled into an appropriate car seat. Parents, it’s up to you to make sure these little ones are securely fastened during every car ride. Without you, their chances for surviving a car accident are minimal, at best.
“It’s good news that manufacturers are making more car seats and boosters than ever before designed to keep older and heavier children safer on our roadways,” said U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood.
The new dummy was created by researchers to help keep up with the new car seat requirements released from the NHTSA. The new dummy is helping researchers to look at the risk of injuries using head and knee excursions, in addition to chest acceleration. The NHTSA recently announced a final rule to include kid car seats and booster seats for heavier children. The new rule amends with the currently federal child car seat standard.
If you’re having trouble determining which car seat your child should ride in, visit the NHTSA’s Car Seat Recommendations for Children web page.
If you or your teenage driver has been involved in a car accident in Phoenix or elsewhere in Arizona, contact us online or call (602) 819-5191 to set up a free and confidential consultation. You or your family may be entitled to compensation for your injuries. Remember, there are no lawyer fees unless a recovery is made on your behalf.
More Blog Entries:
New Website Helping Parents to Protect Children in Car Accidents in Phoenix, Nation, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, January 25, 2011
Arizona car accidents a leading cause of death among children, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, November 2, 2010