Archive for June, 2012
Breaking News Requirements for Child Car Safety Seats to Change in 2014 Sanford NC
For many car seats, parents have had two options: Using the seat belt in the car to attach the seat, or using the LATCH system – Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children – which most parents consider easier to use for installing the seat.
However, with a new federal rule that will take affect in early 2014, child safety-seat manufacturers will be required to tell parents not to use the LATCH system if their child and the car seat have a combined weight of 65 pounds or more.
Many car seats weigh as much as 15 to 33 pounds, so children as light as 32 pounds or as young as 3 may be affected by this new rule. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain in car seats with harnesses until they are 8.
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers petitioned for the new rule because the strength of the lower tethers was not enough to assure the safety of heavier children. Other safety advocates say that seat belts need to be strengthened to reduce the risk of njuries to children.
Other problems have been noted with the LATCH system.
Last summer, a study by Safe Kids Worldwide found that community checkpoint technicians were only using lower anchors to attach child safety seats about 30 percent of the time, and parents were only using the top tethers about 30 percent of the time.
Dealing with an auto accident in Connecticut? Learn what’s legal. Contact us
Posted by Lawyer in Car Accident Lawyers on June 6, 2012
Driving in New England can be challenging any time of year. Sudden blizzards or violent rainstorms. Aggressive drivers on Interstate 84. Confusing street patterns created by Colonial settlers based on chaotic cow paths.
Add to the list the dramatic differences in state traffic laws throughout New England. What’s legal in Massachusetts can often be against the law in Rhode Island or Vermont. Here are some of the highlights from a recent article published by The Boston Globe.
Take Connecticut’s confusing traffic laws. Connecticut is a hands-free state in terms of cell phones. This means you need a headset if you want to make calls on the road. Talking on a cell phone without a headset while driving can result in a $125 fine. The same fine applies to texting while driving in Connecticut.
Connecticut has a “primary” seat belt law, which means a police officer can pull you over and fine you whenever an officer sees someone unbelted in either front seat. As for passengers riding in the back seat, Connecticut’s seat belt laws only require passengers under 16 years old to buckle up.
Connecticut’s child safety restraint laws are also unique. Children under 7 years old or less than 60 pounds must sit in either a child booster or car seat that’s belted into place. All others must be buckled up. Meanwhile in Massachusetts, children must be strapped into a car safety seat until they are either 8 years old or 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
At the Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone & Morelli, a Waterbury Connecticut personal injury lawyers at our law firm can work with you if you’re dealing with a car accident. We know what’s legal or against the law in Connecticut.
That might sound simple. But keeping up with Connecticut’s constantly changing laws can be complicated. Allow us to help you cut through the red tape and decide what’s the best thing for you to do, including whether to file an auto accident lawsuit in Ct.
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Shocking safety survey reveals just how tough traffic laws are in AL, DC, GA, IL, MD.
Posted by Lawyer in Kansas City Lawyers on June 6, 2012
Laws regulating auto accidents in cities like Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore might seem strict. But how tough are they? And how do they compare with other states nationwide?
A recent nationwide study gives a grade to each state for injury prevention. The top states nationwide for injury prevention are California and New York, which each received a score of 9 out of 10. Maryland was close behind with a score of eight. Washington, D.C., and Illinois each received a grade of seven. Alabama and Georgia earned a score of six.
The scores were based on 10 different injury prevention indicators. These include whether the state has a primary seat belt law, mandatory ignition interlocks for a convicted drunk driver, universal helmet laws for motorcycle riders, booster seat laws and regulations regarding bicycle helmet usage.
“There are proven, evidence-based strategies that can spare millions of Americans from injuries each year,” said Jeff Levi, Executive Director of The Trust for America’s Health, which co-authored the study with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “This report focuses on specific, scientifically supported steps we can take to make it easier for Americans to keep themselves and their families safer.”
AR, KS, MO, OK safety study shows states not doing enough
Posted by Lawyer in Car Accident Lawyers on June 1, 2012
Think every state takes steps to prevent people from sustaining a serious injury in an auto accident or another dangerous situation? Think again. Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma recently received low grades in a nationwide safety study. On a scale of 10, all three states each received a scored of five.
The same report included each state’s ranking for injuries caused by auto accidents and other violent incidences. Oklahoma (ranked 6th) and Arkansas (9th) finished in the top 10 for the highest accident rates. Missouri (16th) finished close behind, along with other Midwestern states like Kansas (27th).
Accidents happen fast, even to the safest drivers, especially during the summer, one of the most dangerous times of year on the road. (Many of the most dangerous days for drivers occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day.) In an instant, you can sustain a life-altering injury. Even worse, a death can occur due to a car accident in Missouri. Just recently, a 20-year-old Springfield, MO pedestrian was killed after being struck by a car, according to news-leader.com.
At Tolbert, Beadle & Musgrave, our Missouri personal injury attorneys understand the dangers faced by families every day on our roads. Serving clients in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma, our attorneys have dedicated their careers to helping auto accident victims just like you.
