Page 26 - AAA Magazine – AAA Ohio Auto Club – September 2018

Hit-and-Run Deaths Hit Record High
Continued from page 21
Regardless of the state law, drivers involved in a crash should always remain on the scene and:
• Assist the injured: Check for injured people and
call 911.
• Be visible: Make sure the scene is visible to
approaching drivers. If possible, move vehicles
out of the path of traffic and use flares or reflectors. Find a safe place to remain until emergency services arrive.
• Communicate: Call the police and file a report.
If the police do not come to the scene, you can file a report by visiting the local police department or your automobile insurance agency.
“By working together, we can bring awareness and identify potential solutions to reduce hit-and-run fatalities,” said Dr. Yang. “We can’t forget that cars can be deadly when they come into contact with pedestrians, cyclists or other cars. It is incumbent on each and every one of us to stay alert, be aware of our surroundings and always stay on the scene if involved in a crash.”
Safe Travels
with Rear-Facing
Car Seats
Continued from page 22
children whose spine and vertebrae haven’t fused and fully developed yet.
Our study helps show parents that despite their child facing the direction of impact, these seats still have the ability to keep their child very safe.
What we see from actual crash data is that rear-facing seats are working really well.
As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 58 million members with travel-, insurance-, financial- and automotive-related services. Since its founding
in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.
The results of our study align well with what is known from crash data in the real world. What we see from actual crash data is that rear-facing seats are working really well. It’s rare to see injuries in children who are in rear-facing car seats.
It’s of utmost importance for parents to follow the recommended guidelines on the correct type of car seat for their child’s height, weight and age. The current recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics are to keep a child rear-facing until at least age two, or preferably beyond, as long as they’re within the height and weight limits of their rear-facing seat.
You always want to pick a car seat that’s going
to provide the best maximum benefit to your child.
A properly tightened installation helps reduce the
risk of injury because it limits the amount of energy transferred to the child in the event of a crash. Read and closely follow those instruction manuals. A lot of manufacturers have helpful online resources including videos and question-and-answer sections.
Once the car seat is properly installed and your child safely positioned, parents always should remember to buckle up themselves. Safe travels!
Julie Mansfield, M.S., is a research engineer at Ohio State College of Medicine’s Injury Biomechanics Research Center.
24 | AAA MAGAZINE
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