The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) mentioned in a 2011 report that the number of motor vehicle accident fatalities among children below the age of 16 had dropped by 45% between 1997 and 2009. And a CDC report just released said that the number of children’s crash deaths had declined by 43% between 2002 and 2011. Insurance industry officials and safety authority attribute the decline in childhood motor vehicle crash fatalities to increased use of safety restraints like car seats. The growth in safe travel practices provides cause for hope for a continued decline in serious crash injuries and deaths among children.
The AAP report also emphasized that 650 of 21,000 crash deaths in 2011 belonged to children 12 years old or younger, and 637 died in 2012. (Mike Stobbe, ww.claimsjournal.com, 2/6/14) That’s 650 and 637 too many. Our Pearland car accident attorneys firmly believe that all crash deaths are preventable.
Almost 33% of the children who died in vehicle accidents in 2011 were not restrained by a seatbelt or other proper safety restraints. Statistics consistently reveal that vehicle occupants who are not restrained in a crash have more than a 75% chance of being ejected from their vehicles, and about 75% of those who are ejected experience fatal injuries.
Despite the substantial drop in children’s motor vehicle accident fatalities over the last 15 years, traffic crashes remain the leading cause of death for children aged 4 years and above. Among children and young people up to age 21, there are over 5,000 fatalities each year in traffic wrecks. For each of these deaths, around another 18 children are hospitalized and more than 400 receive injuries serious enough to require medical attention.
The declining fatality numbers demonstrate the value of good safety precautions for motor vehicle travel. Let’s hope that the trend continues, and that the third or more of children who currently ride unrestrained in vehicles will soon be buckled up as they travel.
Contact the Experienced Pearland Car Accident Attorneys at Denena Points, PC when You need Legal Help and Advice after Your Child’s been Injured in a Collision
Call us at 713-807-9500 to schedule a free initial legal consultation to discuss the facts of your case and evaluate your eligibility for a full financial recovery for your child’s injury expenses. Or schedule your free, no obligation consultation by filling out our simple online contact form. Put our more than 12 years of experience successfully resolving complex personal injury cases to work for your benefit.