Car seat safety

The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration reports that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children in age groups three to six and eight to 14. Make sure your child is protected in every vehicle in which they are a passenger.

Among the factors that contribute to preventable injuries in a vehicle are: 1) car seats installed or used incorrectly; 2) a child being placed in the wrong type of car seat; and 3) moving a child into regular seat belts before the seat belts fit properly.

Car seat installation and use

When installing a car seat there are three important steps:

1) Read the vehicle manual – the vehicle manual will tell you how the seat is intended to be used in that particular make and model.

2) Read the car seat manual – the car seat manual will tell you how the car seat is intended to be installed in a vehicle.

3) Have a certified car seat inspector inspect the installation – the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration estimates that three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly. Find a local car seat inspection station here.

Be sure to:

-Tighten the harness straps so that you can just fit your fingers between the strap and your child. Also be sure the straps are not twisted and are in the correct position. The harness chest clip should line up with your child’s nipples.

-Check to see that the seat belt is still fastened if the car seat is attached with a seat belt. If using LATCH, be sure that the LATCH locks are still in place.

-Not to place an infant seat in the path of an airbag.

Right type of car seat
Infants
Infants should be kept in a rear-facing car seat, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of the particular seat. While most institutions still state the policy of one year of age and 20 pounds as the mark to turn a child front-facing, these marks are actually the minimums. Research is trending toward recommending that children be kept rear-facing until the age of two.

Toddlers
After a child outgrows his rear-facing seats, they should ride in forward-facing child safety seats until they reach the upper weight or height limit of the particular seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds). Note that toddlers should always ride in the back seat of the vehicle.

Young Children
When a child outgrows his forward-facing seat, he should graduate to a booster seat. The child should still ride in the back seat until the seat belts fit the child properly.

Moving a child to a seat belt
A seat belt fits properly when the lap belt lays across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt fits across the chest. In most vehicles, the fit is right when the child is 4’9” tall.

The back seat remains the safest place for a child until the age of 12.

There are so many seats on the market. All seats sold in the United States must meet federal safety standards. The extra money you pay for some seats is for added safety features (as determined by the manufacturer) and comfort features. The most important thing in car seat safety is that you use the seat correctly. For ease of use ratings, click here.

Two final notes. Do not use a car seat that has been involved in a motor vehicle accident. Remember to register your car seat with the manufacturer so that they can notify you of any repairs or recalls.