Child Safety Seats Save Lives in Deadly North Carolina Car Accident

Michael Chandler

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The Charlotte Observer reported today that three women died in a horrific car accident on Interstate 85 in Greensboro, North Carolina on Saturday morning. The accident has devastated a family. The only thread of hope is the survival of a set of twins who will turn 3 in May. The children survived because they were properly strapped into child safety seats. "The fact that they survived is nothing short of a miracle, they are definitely testaments to child-safety seats” said N.C. Highway Patrol Sgt. C.A. Webb.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, traffic crashes are the number one killer of young children. Last year, 2,542 children ages 15 and younger died in car crashes; another 294,000 were injured. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) statistics show nearly half of the deaths and injuries occurred because the children were not properly restrained.

Under North Carolina Law a properly used child restraint device (CRD) is required if the child is less than 8 years old AND weighs less than 80 pounds. Most parents and other care givers will be able to comply by using belt-positioning booster seats for children between 40 and 80 pounds. The child must be within the weight range for the child restraint/booster seat and it must meet Federal standards in effect at time of manufacture.