By now, all parents undoubtedly recognize just how dangerous riding in cars, trucks and SUVs can be for their children. After all, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle accidents killed more than 600 kids in 2020 alone. That year, upwards of 63,000 children also suffered injuries in car crashes.
Placing young passengers in size-appropriate car seats is an effective way to protect them. While you probably know the car seat does not belong in the front of your vehicle, you may not realize that the backseat also presents some serious risks.
Seatback failures
The mechanisms that keep your car’s front seats upright might not be as strong as you would like. Unfortunately, in a rear-end collision, these mechanisms can break. If that happens, your car’s front seats can collapse and fall backward, potentially crushing any young child who is sitting in the second row of seats.
Child safety
You probably cannot do much about the internal mechanisms inside your car’s front seats. To protect your kids, though, you can put their car seats behind unoccupied seats. This helps, as you do not have to worry about the combined weight of an adult passenger and the front seat crushing your young passengers.
If you drive a larger vehicle, you also might want to consider sitting your kids in the third row.
Ultimately, because you may not be able to eliminate your children’s chances of suffering a catastrophic injury in a seatback collapse, pursuing financial compensation for their injuries may help you obtain top-level care.