As a parent, keeping your kids safe should be your number one priority, including when they are riding in vehicles. Sadly, 3% of the 42,514 fatal traffic accidents in 2022 involved children 14 and under, and Texas reported the most child car accident fatalities in 2019.
Fortunately, modern cars come equipped with advanced safety features that can help protect your children on the road. If you live in Fort Worth, Texas, here are some of the top car safety features to look for to keep your little ones secure.
Proper Car Seats
The most fundamental way to protect kids in cars is to make sure they are properly secured in car seats suitable for their age, height and weight. All children under 13 should ride in the backseat, and car seats should be installed correctly following manufacturer’s instructions.
Infant seats, convertible seats, and boosters are designed to restrain kids in crashes, reducing injury. According to Brad Parker, a Fort Worth car accident lawyer, “Texas law requires all children under 8 years old to ride in a car seat or booster unless they are taller than 4’9”. If your child is injured in a car crash, consulting with a car accident attorney can help ensure you understand your rights and options for compensation.” Get your car seats inspected for proper installation by a CPST in Fort Worth to ensure they protect your kids optimally.
LATCH System
Many vehicles today come with the LATCH system or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. The LATCH system provides an alternative to seat belts for installing car seats properly. It consists of lower anchors located between seat cushions and top tether anchors behind seats. When used correctly, LATCH secures car seats tightly reducing side-to-side movement in crashes. Always use either LATCH or seat belts, not both simultaneously, to correctly restrain car seats.
Airbags
While airbags are crucial safety features for adults, they can be dangerous for young kids. Airbags deploy forcefully at speeds over 100 mph, so they can injure small children sitting too close. Always deactivate front passenger airbags if a child is in a front-facing car seat in that position. Also, keep kids in rear-facing seats as long as possible, as rear-facing is safest. When kids are old enough to sit in front seats, make sure they are tall enough so airbags deploy to the chest area, not the head and neck.
Auto Emergency Braking
Emergency braking systems use sensors to detect impending collisions and automatically apply brakes to avoid or mitigate crashes. This feature helps prevent accidents that could harm kids. Look for automated braking systems when car shopping and consider ones with pedestrian detection since kids may be near roads. Systems like Subaru EyeSight and Volvo City Safety offer auto-braking and have been found to reduce certain crash types by up to 40%.
Blind Spot Monitoring
Blind spot accidents are very common. Kids often have less spatial awareness than adults when walking near roads or riding bikes. Blind spot monitoring uses sensors to detect vehicles in hard-to-see areas and alerts drivers. This can help you notice kids or pedestrians who may be obscured from view when changing lanes or backing up. Blind-spot monitors are especially useful for larger vehicles with bigger blind zones, like trucks and SUVs. Systems from Mazda, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz feature good blind spot monitoring.
By selecting a vehicle with some games safety technologies, you can drive more confidently, knowing your kids are better protected. But it’s still critical to focus on safe driving habits like obeying speed limits, avoiding distractions, and being aware of child pedestrians. Let these innovations provide an added layer of security when driving your precious cargo around Fort Worth.
Leave A Comment