Bernstein & Maryanoff

Florida’s Child Seat Law

Florida requires that all children traveling in vehicles be placed in a proper child safety seat until they reach the age of three years old. When they reach the age of four, they are no longer required to be placed in these safety devices. This age limit is the lowest in the United States, and the National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, has criticized the state for failing to ramp up its regulations and require children to ride in these safety seats until they are older. Some states require child seats until the children reach the age of nine.

Florida Child Injury Statistics in Car Accidents

One look at the statistics should tell anyone that these child seats should be used regardless of what the law requires. In the past 10 years, almost 3,000 children have been injured in Florida car accidents who were three years old or younger. That number jumps to more than double that as the ages go higher. In addition, approximately half of all child fatalities resulting from Florida car accidents involved children who were not riding in safety seats, even though an estimated 85 percent of all children still use one depending on the age of that child. What this means is that it’s clear that children face a much higher risk of injury or death if they are not properly restrained.

If you have allowed your child to ride without a child safety seat, take steps to provide him or her with the proper protection. If your child has been injured in the vehicle of another because of a lack of this sort of protection, contact the Florida car accident lawyers at Bernstein & Maryanoff immediately to schedule a free initial consultation.