Car
Seat and Child Safety Tips for Parents on the Go
by
Beth Garcia
Unexpected
car accidents and collisions are dangerous for all auto passengers. However, these
crashes — even those at lower speeds — can quickly become fatal for small children.
National safety regulations and suggestions encourage parents to properly secure
their children during car trips by using car seats, booster seats and seat belts.
Properly securing your children with these following tips can help save them from
injury, or even death, should an accident occur.
Safety
Seat Use
According to the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), all children under the
age of eight, or shorter than 4'9", should use some form of safety or booster
seat to ensure they remain properly secure while riding in vehicles. The organization's
four-step child passenger safety process helps parents select what type of safety
seat their children should be using.
Rear-facing seats
All infants
under one year, or 20 pounds, should ride in rear-facing safety seats, which are
secured in the vehicle's back seat. These car seats ensure infants receive the
best possible protection while in the car.
Forward-facing seats
When
children outgrow the rear-facing seats they should continued to ride in the back
seat, this time in a forward-facing car seat. These seats are to be used until
the child reaches the age of four, or 20 pounds.
Booster seats
Until
the standard vehicle seat belts fit properly, all young children should be secured
using booster seats. These seats raise the child so that the car's seat belt fits
correctly. Children should remain in these booster seats until they are eight
years old, or 4'9" tall.
Seat Belts
Children who outgrow
their booster seats can begin using the standard vehicle safety belts. However,
the NHTSA recommends all children under the age of 13 remain in the back seats. Securing
Car Seats Safely
Because not
all car seats are similar, it is important to carefully read all the installation
instructions with your child's seat. Improperly securing your child in a car seat
can make riding in the vehicle that much more dangerous. Carefully check your
car seat each time you drive to ensure it is properly installed.
Installation
Tips
- Make sure the car seat
is held tightly against the vehicle's seat back.
- After
securing the seat, tug on it to make sure the seat belt doesn't loosen.
- Re-secure
the seat if it moves more than one inch when you tug on it.
-
Use a tether strap to connect the car seat to a vehicle anchor bolt.
Securing
Booster Seats Safely If your
child is currently using a booster seat, ensure it is correctly installed and
that the seat belt fits properly around it.
High-back belt positioning
seats
High-back booster seats use your vehicle's lap/shoulder belt to secure
children once they are boosted up. The first type of high-back seat offers head
and neck protection if your car does not have a head rest, and must be used with
the lap/shoulder belt. The second version of the high-back seat is a combination
seat, offering both a forward-facing toddler seat and a booster seat. The seat
can transition with your child as he or she grows.
No-back belt positioning
seats
These seats boost your child up so that you can secure them using
the vehicle's lap/shoulder belt. This type of booster seat should only be used
in vehicle's that already provide a proper head and neck rest. *
Many law enforcement agencies and fire departments can provide car seat checks
for parents unsure of whether or not their seat is properly installed. Find the
child
safety seat inspection center near you. For
more information on children's safety seats, visit the NHTSA.
| 