Car Seat Checkup Top 5 Things to Do
1. Right Seat.
• Check the label on your car seat to make sure it’s appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height. (You can find the exact height and weight limit on the side or back of the car seat).
• Child car seats have an expiration date. Double check the label on your car seat to make sure it is still safe.
* Kids who ride in rear-facing seats have the maximum protection for the head, neck and spine. Don’t worry about their feet. It is especially important for rear-facing children to ride in a back seat away from the airbag.
The following link is to videos on how to install most types of car seats.
http://www.safercar.gov/parents/CarSeats/How-To-Install-Car-Seats.htm
2. Right Place.
• Keep all children in the back seat until they are 13.
• Make sure to attach the top tether after you tighten and lock the seat belt or lower attachment anchors.
• After February 2014, many car seat labels will tell you exactly how much your child can weigh and still use the car’s lower anchors and car seat attachments (LATCH).
• Check both your child restraint and vehicle manuals to see if you can go beyond the weight limit for the top tether. If they both agree to a higher weight, it is fine to follow their directions.
3. Right Direction.
• Keep children in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, usually until around age 2.
• When he or she outgrows the seat, move children to a forward-facing car seat. Make sure to attach the top tether after you tighten and lock the seat belt or lower anchors.
*Kids can remain in some forward-facing car seats until they’re 65 pounds depending on the car seat limits. Check the seat label to find the exact measurements. Discontinue use of the lower anchors or top tether when your child reaches the limits set by your car seat and car manufacturers.
4. Inch Test.
• Once the car seat is installed, give it a good shake at the base.
• Can you move it more than an inch side to side or front to back?
• A properly installed seat will not move more than an inch.
5. Pinch Test.
• Make sure the harness is tightly buckled and coming from the correct slots (check car seat manual).
• Now, with the chest clip placed at armpit level, pinch the strap at the child’s shoulder.
• If you are unable to pinch any excess webbing, you’re good to go.
Check Your Car Seat
73% of car seats are not used or installed correctly, so before you hit the road, check your car seat.
Road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the United States. Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.
73% of car seats are not used or installed correctly, so before you hit the road, check your car seat.
Road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the United States. Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.
Is it Time for a Booster Seat?
Take the next step to a booster seat when you answer “yes” to any of these questions:• Does the child exceed the car seat’s height or weight limits?
• Are the child’s shoulders above the car seat’s top harness slots?
• Are the tops of the child’s ears above the top of the car seat?
Booster Seats
• Kids who have outgrown their car seats are not quite ready for a seat belt alone – although they might try to convince you otherwise.
• Instead, have them transition to a booster seat that enables the adult seat belt to fit properly.
• Seat belts don’t fit children properly until they are at least 57” (4’9”) tall and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds.
• Booster seats can reduce the risk of serious injury by 45% compared to seat belts alone.
Hard Facts
Children in a booster seat in the back seat of the car are 45% less likely to be injured in a crash than children using a seat belt alone.
Children in a booster seat in the back seat of the car are 45% less likely to be injured in a crash than children using a seat belt alone.
Tips to make sure kids are safe in a booster seat.
• When the child is seated in the booster seat, make sure the lap and shoulder belts fit. The lap belt should fit low across the hips and the shoulder belt across the shoulder.
• Do not place the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind the child’s back.
• Older kids get weighed and measured less often than babies, so check your child’s growth a few times a year.
• Generally, kids need to use a booster until they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. For most kids, they will be between ages 8 to 12 years old.
Use a booster seat with the vehicle lap AND shoulder safety belts until children pass the following Safety Belt Fit Test: • The child’s knees should bend at the edge of the seat when his or her back and bottom are against the vehicle seat back; and • The vehicle lap belt should fit across the upper thighs; and • The shoulder belt should fit across the shoulder and chest. Children are usually between 8 and 12 years old when the seat belt fits them properly.
Resources:
• http://www.safercar.gov/parents/index.htm
• http://www.safekids.org
