According to a booster seat study published in the medical journal, Pediatrics, requiring parents to use booster seats by law for children who have grown too big for a traditional car seat decreases the number of children ages 4 to 6 who were hurt in traffic accidents from 29 children per 10,000 to 25 children per 10,000. The researchers looked at injury rates two years before a New York state law requiring the booster seats went into effect and compared them to rates three years after the law had been in place.

Booster seats are designed for children who no longer fit in traditional car seats, but are too small to fit properly under a normal seat belt designed for adults. The booster seat lifts the child so that the shoulder restraint falls properly across the shoulder and chest, as opposed to going across the neck when the child is too short.

The decreased risk of injury was seen even though New York only saw the use of booster seats among children 4 to 6 years old increase from 29% before the law went into effect to 50% after. If more parents took precautions to ensure that young children were properly restrained in a booster seat after they have out grown the car seat, even less children would suffer a serious and potentially life-threatening injury from automobile accidents.

Under Maryland’s Child Passenger Safety Law (PDF), every child under the age of 8 must ride in ride in an appropriate car seat, booster seat or other federally approved child safety seat unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall or weigh more than 65 pounds. Most kids need to ride in a booster seat from about age 4 until age 10-12.

According to recent research presented by Dr. Karen Judy, an associate professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, the prolific misuse of child safety seats across the United States have made car accidents the leading cause of death and disability among American children.

Any child under 80 pounds or shorter than 57 inches should be in a car seat or child safety seat. But that safety seat needs to be installed the correct way to properly protect the child in case of a car crash.

The following tips should always be followed when placing a child in a children safety seat:

• Infants less than a year old and weighing 20 lbs and under should always be placed in a rear-facing position.
• Children older than 1 years old and weighing more than 20 pounds should be placed in a forward-facing car seat until they are four years old or weigh more than 40 lbs.
• Children between the ages of 4 and 8 should use a booster seat until they are at least 4 feet 9 inches or taller.
• All children younger than 13 should sit in the back seat to avoid crushing injury from air bags. Safety seats should always be installed in the back seat.
• Avoid using second-hand car seats and only use car seats that you know have never been in an accident. Do not use any car seat older than six years old.
• When securing a child in a safety seat, make sure that the harness is level with the shoulders and that the straps are tight and secure.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has provided a system of child safety seat inspection stations across the U.S. It is recommended that anyone installing a child safety seat into a car for the first time take the car and seat to one of these inspection stations, where a trained individual will make certain that the seat is installed correctly.

Arialdi M. Miniño, a statistician at the U.S. Centers for Disease, Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics, compiled a report that broke down the causes of death for teens from 1999 through 2006. The report was released by CDC last month.

Miniño found that an average of 16,375 teenagers from ages 12 through 19 die each year, on average, nearly half of them from accidents. Two-thirds of those accidental deaths, 35% of the total teen deaths, occurred due to a car crash. The next highest ranking cause of death was homicide.

Fortunately, teen deaths account for only about 1% of fatalities nationwide each year. The numbers indicate that older teen males are three times more likely to die than older teen females, and older teens overall are at a higher risk of death than younger ones.

“Starting at age 12 and ending at 19 years, the death rate among teenage males increases 32 percent on average for every additional year of age,” Miniño found. “For females, on the other hand, the death rate increases on average 19.5 percent for every additional year of age.”

In my experience as a Maryland car accident lawyer, the problem may be compounded by the fact that serious car crashes involving teens often involve a number of people in the same vehicle. The reckless actions of a teen driver can not only pose a risk to their own health, but also may cause personal injury or death for other occupants of the vehicle or for those in other cars on the road.

About 550 people died on Maryland roads in 2009, according to state officials. That is down from 591 in 2008, and in 2007 there were 614 Maryland automobile accident deaths. The numbers have been trending downward, even as the number of Maryland drivers has increased.

Throughout the United States there has been a drop in fatal auto accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reporting that 33,963 traffic fatalities were reported across the U.S. in 2009, down 3,298 from 2008; a 9 percent drop.

Some experts attribute the decline in traffic accident deaths, the lowest in 55 years, to the economic recession. As Americans have less money to spend, they drive fewer miles, putting themselves collectively at less risk of getting into a traffic accident. Before 2008, when most believe the economy bottomed out, the number of traffic deaths regularly surpassed 40,000.

However, there may be a number of other factors involved, from laws to technology.

Once this new law is enacted, Maryland will join several other states that have put restrictions on the use of cell phones and other mobile communication devices while driving.

The law passed the House of Delegates 125-14 on Friday, and Governor O’Malley has already said he would sign the bill, according to a story in the Baltimore Sun.

The law makes it a secondary offense to use a hand-held cell phone while in control of a motor vehicle for any reason, including taking pictures or video, as well as making or receiving calls. A secondary offense means that police can pull a driver over only if they see them committing another offense, such as speeding.

Drivers would be fined $40 for a first offense, and $100 for any later offenses. Drivers are still able to use headsets, Bluetooth technology and other hands-free devices. It is also not illegal to use the devices when the car is not in motion, such as at a traffic light.

The new law follows an October 1 law passed in Maryland that made the state the 10th in the nation to outlaw sending a text message while operating a motor vehicle. Maryland is the seventh state to make it illegal to use hand units altogether. However, other states, including California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Washington, have made it a primary offense; meaning that drivers in those state can be pulled over and fined solely for talking on their cell phone.

Last year a study by the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute found that drivers of light vehicles and cars were at 2.8 times greater risk of crashing while dialing a cell phone than a non-distracted driver, and 1.3 times more likely to have an auto accident while talking on the cell phone. Truck drivers were at much greater risk of an accident, with six times the likelihood of crashing while dialing a cell phone, and 6.7 times more likely to crash while using or reaching for an electronic device of any kind.

In the March/April issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, researchers from the University of Florida looked at crash data from 5,345 older drivers collected by the 2005 Florida Traffic Crash Records Database. Failure to maintain a lane of travel, yielding and estimating when to cross over lanes of traffic were the most likely causes of auto accident injuries among elderly drivers. Researchers also found that female drivers were more likely to be injured in auto accidents than older male drivers (44% compared to 29%), but the likelihood of either gender being involved in an accident was about the same.

While car accidents caused by errors in judgment, such as staying in their lane, crossing lanes and estimating room between cars resulted in injuries 50% of the time, speed management, distractions and vehicle positioning errors also frequently caused elderly drivers to be hurt in crashes.

A press release from the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc. (AOTA), said that the study’s results point to a need for injury prevention strategies specifically targeted at older drivers. The AOTA statement indicates that occupational therapists could help identify elderly drivers with judgment problems who were more likely to be injured in car accidents, and said that age-related conditions and judgment errors should be more of a focus on accident prevention than simply the age of the drivers.

The legislation, House Bill 825, increases the minimum required insurance for cars in Maryland from $20,000 to $30,000 for any single person and from $40,000 to $60,000 for the combined total for any one accident.

Motorists can (and should) purchase higher insurance for Maryland cars to protect themselves and ensure that they have more coverage in the event they are involved in an accident with a vehicle that only has minimal limits. However, many vehicles only carry the minimum required coverage, leaving many Maryland personal injury victims without adequate insurance coverage for their injuries.

Automobile insurance coverage not only protects motorists in the event that they cause an accident that results in a personal injury or wrongful death to another person, but it also provides coverage for their own injuries in the event that they are involved in an accident caused by an uninsured motorist of underinsured motorist.

While it is the opinion of our Maryland accident lawyers that the minimum insurance coverage in Maryland should be even higher, raising the floor from $20,000/$40,000 to $30,000/$60,000 would be a step in the right direction. The minimum insurance for Maryland automobiles has not been increased since 1972, while the cost of medical care associated with auto accident injuries has dramatically increased over the past three decades.

The House is scheduled for a final vote on this legislation tomorrow morning, so take this opportunity to email or call your elected official to show your support for this legislation.

The report on emergency department visits by motor vehicle accident victims was reported by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality in January. Of those killed, about 36,000 never made it to an emergency room, and about two-thirds of patients who required life-saving medical care were not treated in hospitals equipped to work as trauma centers.

The report used statistics from the 2007 Nationwide Inpatient Sample that represents data from 90% of hospital visits. It found that about 3.5 million auto accident victims were treated in emergency departments for a variety of injuries. The most common injuries were sprains, at about 44%. Traumatic head injuries and other internal injuries accounted for less than 10% collectively.

Researchers found that auto accidents are the leading cause of death for children over the age of one, and the leading cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages. The data also indicated that 58% of all motor vehicle accident victims who were taken to emergency rooms were between the ages of 18 and 44.

“In addition to the physical and emotional burden on the injured and their families, MVAs (motor vehicle accidents) result in significant health care costs for society because they often lead to visits to hospital emergency departments, inpatient hospital admissions, and for some, permanent disability,” researchers said.

MARYLAND MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT LAWYERS

The lawyers at Saiontz & Kirk, P.A. handle motor vehicle accident claims in Maryland for individuals who have suffered injuries requiring medical treatment. Following an accident, it is important to seek medical treatment in an emergency room or from your doctor if a personal injury is sustained. A Maryland motor vehicle accident lawyer can help make sure your rights are protected and that you and your family obtain all of the compensation that is available.

The NHTSA will coordinate with law enforcement agencies across the country to conduct high-profile police enforcement against alcohol-impaired drivers as part of a campaign called “Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.” The NHTSA will also conduct $13 million in advertising and public awareness announcing the crackdown and will work with various anti-drinking and driving community activist groups.

The campaign’s ubiquitous commercials are a familiar site to most television watchers, featuring police officers stopping cars filled with alcohol-looking liquid, complete with floating cherries, suds and ice cubes.

The NHTSA estimates that in 2007, 12,998 people died as a result of alcohol-impaired traffic accidents where at least one driver had a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher, which is illegal in all states. In 2008 that number fell to 11,773, a nearly 10% drop, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Maryland drunk driving accidents dropped 15% drop from 2007 to 2008.

More Information: CDC Notice about National Labor Day Drunk Driving Enforcement Crackdown

Our accident attorneys have successfully represented clients in prior lawsuits against WMATA, (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) involving serious injuries sustained in bus and subway accidents. For over 35 years, our law firm has been representing injury victims in Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania.

While the investigation into the subway crash is ongoing with the National Transportation Safety Board, it appears that safety system failures, poor maintenance and/or operator error caused or contributed to the accident. If you, a friend or family member were injured or killed in the accident, it is important to take immediate steps to make sure that your interests are protected.

WMATA officials have already issued statements asking victims to submit claims directly to their risk management department. However, contacting WMATA without first speaking to an attorney could impact the ultimate value of a claim. Protect yourself and your family by contacting one of our Washington DC and Maryland injury lawyers for a free consultation.