Safety Belt Awareness on the Rise in KC After The Death of Two Kansas Girls

Two little girls were just driving aloung with their mother one Wednesday morning at approximately 8'o'clock, when the vehicle they were passengers in collided with a sport utility vehicle, SUV.  The impact was sudden and devastating. 

Both of those little girls died, and tragically their lives were cut extremely short seeing as how they were only five years of age.  There were other victims involved including the thirty-three-year-old mother who was driving, another daughter who was only four-years-old, and the driver of the SUV, a twenty-seven-year-old man.  The mother, Stephanie Spencer was neither wearing her seat belt, nor did she secure any of her other children in seat belts for this trip.  The man, Robert Hutchins, was wearign a seatbelt at the time of impact.  It is reported that he is recovering well.

The incident occurred in Topeka, Kansas at the intersection of 134th Rd. and Meridian Rd. on the morning of Wednesday, July 28th, 2010.  The Kansas Highway Patrol has confirmed that not one of the passengers in Stephanie Spencer's vehicle, including the mother herself, was wearing a seat belt. 

Seat belts are vital to the safety of our personal safety, and especially to the safety of our children.  For children aged 1-4, studies indicate that as many as 54% of car accident deaths could be reduced if children had been properly strapped in with a vehicle safety belt.  The number is slightly higher for children aged four to seven, reaching at about 59%, or 3 out of every five. 

We know that the answer seems obvious, and in many ways that is the problem.  The importance of seat belts is all over infomercials and news stories, but we do not always give it its due weight.  If you would do anything to protect your child, the least you can do is strap them in with a seat belt.  Talk to them about this article and show them why these safety features are crucical to their well-being.  That way, they will remember to buckle-up when you are not around.  It may not be cool to buckle-up in the car of a friend whose parents don't care if they use safety belts or not, but it is one of the most important safety features available while riding in a car and the only one that is optional. 

If you believe that a child you love has suffered at the hands of a negligent adult, we urge you to give our law offices a call immediately.  Our Kansas City Child Injury and Accident Attorneys are prepared to fight for your case and to protect your child.