|
Dear
Friends:
With the holiday
season upon us, many people will be driving to visit with family and
friends. We wish you safe travels, and ask that you please wear your
seatbelt when traveling, and make sure all vehicle occupants,
especially your precious children, are properly restrained.
We wish you a
happy holiday, and peace and happiness in the new year.
Sincerely,
Over
The River And Through The Woods . . . .
 To grandmothers
house we go. . . So goes the Thanksgiving song. With the holiday
season approaching, many people will be driving to visit with family
and friends. We at Auger & Auger remind you to please buckle up,
and make sure all vehicle occupants, especially children, are
properly restrained.
Car Accidents
The Leading Cause Of Death For 3-14 year olds
According to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), car accidents
are the leading cause of death in the 3 to 14 year old age group. A
2008 study found that of the 5,598 children under the age of 14 that
were killed in car accidents in the year 2008, 46% were unrestrained.
The study further revealed that proper use of child safety seats
reduced fatalities in the under 1 year old age group by 71%, and by
54% in children between 1 and 4.
Statistics Do
Not Lie
In June, a 10
month old girl from Raleigh died when the car she was in crashed.
North Carolina Highway Patrol reported that the baby, Sophia Peetc,
was not properly restrained when her mother, Heather Lucas, lost
control of her vehicle and overcorrected, causing the SUV to flip
twice and strike a tree. Baby Sophia was ejected from the vehicle,
which landed on top of her.
Similarly, in
October, a 4 month old girl was killed in Spartanburg, SC, when she
was ejected from a vehicle following a single car collision. In that
crash, Terrance Murphy lost control of his car, causing it to
overturn. South Carolina Highway Patrol reported that four out of the
vehicles five occupants were unrestrained, and that in addition to 4
month old Teliya Zanae Murphy, the driver and another passenger were
also ejected from the vehicles.
Seatbelt Use
Is Lowest Among 16-24 Year Olds
The group with
the lowest seatbelt use are the 16-24 year olds. This is particularly
troubling, because unlike small children who rely on their parent or
caregiver to ensure that they are properly restrained, this group is
certainly capable of the simple act of buckling up. Even more
troubling is the fact that this age group also has the highest number
of reported crashes as well as the highest number of fatalities.
In August, 16
year old Khadijiah Chesney was killed when the car she was a
passenger in hit a tree and she was ejected from the vehicle.
In October, two
teens from Stanly County were killed when they were ejected from the
vehicle they were riding in. According to police, Jordan Carpenter,
age 16, swerved his Jeep to avoid hitting a deer. When he tried to
correct the vehicle, it rolled. Carpenter's passengers, 15 year old
Austin Burleson, and 16 year old Hunter Mauldin, were ejected and
killed.
And just two
weeks ago, 17 year old Jaela Kelley died at Greenville Memorial
Hospital (SC) after being ejected from a vehicle that was t-boned by
a tractor trailer truck.
These
Fatalities Could Have Easily Been Prevented
All it takes is
the simple act of buckling the seatbelt, and it is almost inexcusable
not to buckle up. A drivers education course is required before
obtaining a drivers license. It is drilled over and over again, that
drivers and occupants must wear seatbelts. Yet the evidence shows
that many teens still do not buckle up. And with regard to child
restraint systems, many parents and caregivers install them
improperly. Police Departments and Fire Departments around the state
are always available for free child restraint checks.
And Besides,
It's The Law
North Carolina
law requires that all occupants, regardless of where they are seated
in a vehicle, to wear a seatbelt when the car is in motion. The law
also requires that children under 8 years of age, and under 80
pounds, be properly seated in a weight-appropriate child restraint
system. Children under the age of 5 and below 40 pounds are required
to be properly seated in a weight-appropriate child restraint system
in the rear seat of the vehicle, unless the car seat is specifically
designed to be used in the front seat (with airbags).
Air Bags Are
Designed To Work With Seatbelts
Not instead of
seatbelts. Air bags are not designed to deploy in all types of
accidents. They are equipped with sensors that measure the location
of the crash and the rate at which the vehicle is slowing down.
Accordingly, the speed and amount of physical damage present is NOT
an appropriate measure of whether an airbag should deploy. There is
no guarantee that the accident you may be involved in will meet the
criteria that would cause your airbag to deploy. Further, airbags can
only be deployed once, and they rapidly deflate. So if there are
multiple impacts, they will be useless in a subsequent impact. The
seatbelt, however, ensures the vehicle occupant is in the best position
to maximize the benefit of the airbag.
In the event of a
crash, the car is quickly decelerating and the frame is absorbing
most of the force. An unrestrained occupant, however, will continue
to be propelled forward at the same speed the vehicle was originally
traveling at until their movement is stopped, such as by impact with
the steering wheel, gauge panel, windshield, or, worst case scenario,
ejection from the vehicle. The proper use of a seatbelt will more
evenly distribute the force of the impact through the body, helping
prevent the upper body or head from striking the interior of the
vehicle.
Air Bag
Injury?
Will typically be
in the form of a minor abrasion or burn. Serious injury, or death, is
extremely rare, but can occur in a particular circumstance,
specifically, sitting too close to an airbag, or a child in the front
seat. The force of an airbag explosion is around 100mph. If an
occupant is sitting too close too, or in contact with, the airbag
module when it opens, serious injury can occur. The National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration recommends that drivers keep at least
10 inches between their chest and the middle of the steering wheel.
Children under 12 should always be in the back seat, and NEVER use a
rear-facing child restraint in the front seat of a vehicle equipped
with front airbags UNLESS it is specifically designed to be used as
such.
Have A Safe
Holiday
We wish you a
safe and healthy holiday season, and ask that you keep yourself and
all occupants of your vehicle appropriately restrained. If you have
any questions regarding the proper use of a child restraint system,
please stop in at the nearest police or fire department for a free
check.
|
