If you have young children in your family, you undoubtedly understand the importance of using safety-rated car seats. After all, size-appropriate car and booster seats reduce a child’s risk of suffering a serious injury in a car accident by almost 80%, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Even though your child’s car seat is an essential piece of protective equipment, you have something else to worry about. Specifically, your car’s front seats may collapse and fall backward during a motor vehicle accident, such as a rear-end collision.
Weak internal supports
Car manufacturers must follow strict safety guidelines when designing and manufacturing vehicles. The safety rules for front seat supports, though, date back to the 1960s. Because of this outdated safety standard, your car’s manufacturer may have installed internal seat supports that are too weak to keep the seats upright during an accident.
A substantial crush risk
It is usually advisable to place your child’s car seat in the back of your vehicle. This helps to prevent airbag-related injuries. Nevertheless, if your car’s front seats fail during an accident, the weight of the seat may crush any young passenger who is sitting behind you.
If you are looking to keep your son or daughter as safe as possible, you should try to place him or her behind a vacant front seat. Vacant seats are less likely to collapse, as they do not have the added force of a passenger’s weight.
Ultimately, though, if your child suffers catastrophic injuries because of a front seat failure in a motor vehicle accident, you may have immediate grounds to pursue significant financial compensation.