A lot of people don't realize the importance of car seat safety. There is more to keeping a child safe in a vehicle than just buckling them in. So many children each year are injured or killed in a crash due to improper car seat usage. The concept seems pretty simple. Purchase a car seat, strap it into your car, and buckle in your child. However, there is actually so much more to it than that.
You need to make sure that you are buying the right car seat for your child for their height, weight, and age. Always pay very close attention to whether or not your car seat is able to rear-face, forward-face, or both. Infant carrier car seats cannot face forward, ever! Larger all-in-one car seats some of the time cannot rear-face at all. Convertible car seats are capable of doing both. Make sure you know what your kids' car seats can or cannot do! All car seats also have height and weight restrictions, minimums and maximums, so make sure your kids fall in between these limits. Check your manuals or look online if you are not sure. My five-month-old is a big boy, and has almost outgrown his current infant carrier already. He is only an inch or two away from being too long for it. It can happen before you know it! As for age, obviously infant carriers are for children under a year of age, convertible car seats are for infants and toddlers, and all-in-one seats are usually for toddlers and older children. As for booster seats, your child is required to be at least four years old and forty inches tall before he or she can ride in one - my four-year-old is still not tall enough!
You need to make sure that the seat is properly installed, and your child is properly restrained. Once installed, the car seat or it's base should not be able to move from side-to-side <I>at all</I>. There are different ways to install most seats, and ways to reinforce the install. You can use the seat belt, or the anchor system. The latch system helps secure everything properly. Most fire stations will have a car seat professional there that will be able to check your install or help you to install a car seat for free. It can't hurt to drop by and have yours looked at! When buckled in, the straps on a child should not be loose or twisted. You should not be able to fit more than two fingers under the straps on your child. The chest clip should be level with the child's armpits, not on the child's belly or anywhere else. Thick coats should not be warn in a car seat. When rear-facing, the straps setting should sit at or below the shoulders. When forward-facing, the straps setting should sit at or above the shoulders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo
Above is a link to a video depicting why it is safest for children to rear-face for as long as possible. At first I was skeptical of this, and I wasn't aware of it when my oldest was a baby, so he was forward-facing at the legal minimum of one year <I>and</I> 20lbs. Car seat experts are now recommending that you rear-face for at least two years, or as long as your car seats will let you. I have seen the proof for myself, and it is obvious to me that rear-facing is safest. I think that I will probably practice extended rear-facing with my little guy now that I know about it. Another good idea is to keep your kids in five point harnesses for as long as possible - they are also the safest this way. Most kids cannot stay in place properly with a regular seat belt until they are much older than the minimum required age. Also, be aware that car seats do expire! Check your car seats to make sure you know when they expire, because it can be dangerous to ride in an expired seat. Be careful when considering buying a used car seat - they could be expired or close to doing so, and you don't know if the seat has been in a car crash (if a seat is ever in a crash, it must be thrown away and replaced right away).
There are so many rules and regulations, limits and requirements, it's true they are hard to keep up with and can be overwhelming at times. However, when it comes to the safety of our children, I think that we can all take time out of our days to make sure we know what we are doing. I hope that everyone does their research and keep their kids as safe in the car as they can!
You need to make sure that you are buying the right car seat for your child for their height, weight, and age. Always pay very close attention to whether or not your car seat is able to rear-face, forward-face, or both. Infant carrier car seats cannot face forward, ever! Larger all-in-one car seats some of the time cannot rear-face at all. Convertible car seats are capable of doing both. Make sure you know what your kids' car seats can or cannot do! All car seats also have height and weight restrictions, minimums and maximums, so make sure your kids fall in between these limits. Check your manuals or look online if you are not sure. My five-month-old is a big boy, and has almost outgrown his current infant carrier already. He is only an inch or two away from being too long for it. It can happen before you know it! As for age, obviously infant carriers are for children under a year of age, convertible car seats are for infants and toddlers, and all-in-one seats are usually for toddlers and older children. As for booster seats, your child is required to be at least four years old and forty inches tall before he or she can ride in one - my four-year-old is still not tall enough!
You need to make sure that the seat is properly installed, and your child is properly restrained. Once installed, the car seat or it's base should not be able to move from side-to-side <I>at all</I>. There are different ways to install most seats, and ways to reinforce the install. You can use the seat belt, or the anchor system. The latch system helps secure everything properly. Most fire stations will have a car seat professional there that will be able to check your install or help you to install a car seat for free. It can't hurt to drop by and have yours looked at! When buckled in, the straps on a child should not be loose or twisted. You should not be able to fit more than two fingers under the straps on your child. The chest clip should be level with the child's armpits, not on the child's belly or anywhere else. Thick coats should not be warn in a car seat. When rear-facing, the straps setting should sit at or below the shoulders. When forward-facing, the straps setting should sit at or above the shoulders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2DVfqFhseo
Above is a link to a video depicting why it is safest for children to rear-face for as long as possible. At first I was skeptical of this, and I wasn't aware of it when my oldest was a baby, so he was forward-facing at the legal minimum of one year <I>and</I> 20lbs. Car seat experts are now recommending that you rear-face for at least two years, or as long as your car seats will let you. I have seen the proof for myself, and it is obvious to me that rear-facing is safest. I think that I will probably practice extended rear-facing with my little guy now that I know about it. Another good idea is to keep your kids in five point harnesses for as long as possible - they are also the safest this way. Most kids cannot stay in place properly with a regular seat belt until they are much older than the minimum required age. Also, be aware that car seats do expire! Check your car seats to make sure you know when they expire, because it can be dangerous to ride in an expired seat. Be careful when considering buying a used car seat - they could be expired or close to doing so, and you don't know if the seat has been in a car crash (if a seat is ever in a crash, it must be thrown away and replaced right away).
There are so many rules and regulations, limits and requirements, it's true they are hard to keep up with and can be overwhelming at times. However, when it comes to the safety of our children, I think that we can all take time out of our days to make sure we know what we are doing. I hope that everyone does their research and keep their kids as safe in the car as they can!
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