Are You Using the Top Tether on Your Child’s Car Seat?

Does your child sit in a front-facing child car seat when he or she travels in the car with you? Are you utilizing the top tether strap to better secure your child? If you are like the majority of Americans, the answer is “no.”

According to an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Status Report, tether straps are used approximately 43 percent of the time. Shockingly, these numbers are about the same as in the mid-1970s.

Tethers Reduce Head Injury Risk
Tethers are designed to make it easier to correctly secure child restraints. These safety devices are also supposed to help reduce the risk of your child suffering a head injury in the event of a Southern California car accident.

When tethers are not used with child restraints, the child’s upper body is more likely to move too far forward during a collision. This can increase the risk of a serious facial and head injury.

“Crash tests show that tethers help reduce the likelihood of head injuries in crashes, so it’s disappointing that more parents don’t use them,” says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research.

Contact Us
If you or someone you know has been injured in a car accident, you should contact one of our experienced Santa Monica car accident attorneys at Steinberg & Spencer Injury Lawyers at (800) 989-6385.