Driver behavior is naturally an important component in preventing injuries of any kind, including head injuries, experts note. The threat of legislative penalties does a great deal to influence risk-taking behavior. For instance, laws making the use of seatbelts mandatory increases the use of seatbelts, which decreases the rate of injury dramatically.
No matter where it is employed, the enactment of seatbelt laws tend to reduce the incidence of vehicle accident related head injury. Studies all over the United States, as well as some in European countries, confirm this time and again.
There is still a problem, with some cars, with the steering wheel causing severe brain injury in accidents, even when seatbelts are employed. The use of driver’s side airbags reduce even these injuries. Studies in The Bronx and Brooklyn say, however, that an airbag should always be used in conjunction with a seatbelt, not as a replacement for one.
Child occupants of a motor vehicle present special challenges when it comes to safety. The thin flexible skull of an infant does not offer much protection against impact, which is why good protective seats are so important. Children that are too small to be secured with a seatbelt should always have a child seat or a booster to make sure they are protected against head impact in case of an accident.
Backward-facing seats are the safest for small children, New York Brain Injury Lawyers have learned. They give superior protection, especially in the case of frontal crashes.