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Child Safety In 2006, there were nearly 61 million children age 14 and younger in the United States. This age group made up 20 percent of the total U.S. resident population in 2006. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for the age group 2 to 14 years old (based on 2004 figures, which are the latest mortality data currently available from the National Center for Health Statistics). In 2006, there were a total of 42,642 traffic fatalities in the United States. If your child was injured in an auto accident, pedestrian accident, or bicycle accident, then contact the Harris Law Firm PA to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer, child injury lawyer, personal injury attorney, right away. Your next steps can be critical. The 14 and younger age group accounted for 4 percent (1,794) of those traffic fatalities. This age group accounted for 4 percent (1,335) of all vehicle occupant fatalities, 8 percent (208,000) of all the people injured in motor vehicle crashes, and 7 percent (184,000) of all the vehicle occupants injured in crashes. Every day in the United States, an average of 5 children age 14 and younger were killed and 568 were injured in motor vehicle crashes during 2006. In the 14 and under age group, males accounted for 55 percent of the fatalities and 49 percent of those injured in motor vehicle crashes during 2006. Alcohol-Related Crashes and Children In 2006, a total of 419 (23%) of the fatalities among children age 14 and younger occurred in crashes involving alcohol. Of those 419 fatalities, 202 were passengers in vehicles with drivers who had been drinking with blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of .01 gram per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. An additional 108 children were killed as passengers in vehicles with drivers who had not been drinking. Another 62 children age 14 and younger who were killed in traffic crashes in 2006 were pedestrians or pedalcyclists who were struck by drinking drivers (BAC .01 g/dL or higher). Pedestrian Accident • Pedestrian Fatality There were a total of 4,784 pedestrian fatalities in 2006. The 14 and under age group accounted for 331 (7%) of those fatalities. Almost one fifth (18%) of the traffic fatalities in the 14 and under age group were pedestrians. In 1996, there were 673 pedestrian fatalities in the 14 and under age group. From 1996 to 2006, the number of pedestrian fatalities in this age group decreased by 51 percent, with the 4-7 year age group showing the largest decrease (39%). Of the total 331 pedestrian fatalities among children age 14 and younger in 2006, 219 (66%) of those killed were males. In 2006, a total of 61,000 pedestrians were injured, 12,000 of those injured were age 14 and younger, and males accounted for 59 percent (7,000) of those 12,000 injured. During 2006, the highest percentage of fatalities among young pedestrians occurred between 4 p.m. and 7:59 p.m. (39%), which is an 8 percent decrease from 2005 during those same hours. The second highest percentage of fatalities among young pedestrians were between the hours of 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. (24%) which is an 8 percent increase from 2005 during those same hours. Seventy seven percent of the pedestrian fatalities among those age 14 and younger occurred at non-intersection locations, which is a significant decrease from 2005 (82%). Bicycle Accident A total of 773 bicyclists were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2006. The 14 and under age group accounted for 13 percent (98) of those fatalities, and males accounted for 83 percent (81) of the fatalities among bicyclists age 14 and younger. The 98 bicyclist fatalities in 2006 for the 14 and under age group represent a decrease of 56 percent from the 225 killed in 1996.In 2006, a total of 44,000 bicyclists were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes. Twenty-four percent (or an estimated 11,000) of the bicyclists who were injured were age 14 and younger. Children and Seat Belts Research has shown that lap/shoulder seat belts, when used, reduce the risk of fatal injury to front seat occupants (age 5 and older) of passenger cars by 45 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 50 percent. For light-truck occupants, seat belts reduce the risk of fatal injury by 60 percent and the risk of moderate-to-critical injury by 65 percent. During 2006, 6,983 passenger vehicle occupants age 14 and younger were involved in fatal crashes. For those children where restraint use was known, 25 percent were unrestrained; among those who were fatally injured, 45 percent were unrestrained. Research on the effectiveness of child safety seats has found them to reduce fatal injury by 71 percent for infants (less than 1 year old) and by 54 percent for toddlers (1-4 years old) in passenger cars. For infants and toddlers in light trucks, the corresponding reductions are 58 percent and 59 percent, respectively. In 2006, there were 452 passenger vehicle occupant fatalities among children under 5 years of age. Of those 452 fatalities, where restraint use was known (427), 149 (35%) were totally unrestrained. Important Safety Reminders Failure to read the child safety seat instructions, in addition to vehicle owner manual instructions regarding seat belts, could result in serious injury or death as a result of a failure of the child safety seat to be securely and/or properly restrained. Children in rear-facing child seats should not be placed in the front seat of vehicles equipped with passenger-side air bags. The impact of a deploying air bag striking a rear-facing child seat could result in injury to the child. NHTSA also recommends that children 12 and under sit in the rear seat away from the force of a deploying air bag. Children age 12 and under are safest when properly buckled in the back seat of a motor vehicle. Always read the child restraint manufacturer instructions and the vehicle owner manual instructions. At the Harris Law Firm If your child was injured in an auto accident, pedestrian accident, or bicycle accident, then contact the Harris Law Firm to consult an experienced personal injury lawyer, child injury lawyer, personal injury attorney, right away. Your next steps can be critical. If you our a loved one has been injured through the negligent acts of an aggressive driver, and have suffered serious injury, then contact our personal injury attorneys today. Experienced, dedicated, and effective, our personal injury attorney helps you at every stage of the child injury claim process, from case investigation, insurance adjuster negotiations, and prosecuting a lawsuit as needed. Contact us today.
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