Is That Car Seat Installed Right?
The Importance of Car Seat Safety!

Fellow Blogger, DC Thrifty Mom, reminded me of a very important subject when she and her family were involved in a horrific car accident. They were rear ended and the trunk smashed into their back seat! Thankfully no one was hurt and the children were properly strapped in their car seats.  Properly inserted car seats and proper strapping saves lives!!!

Now I know that as our children get older we can sometimes be lackadaisical about checking the car seat or even upgrading but we never know if this story will be ours. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a great site that gives vital information about car seat types, car seat installation, state laws and so much more. One chart that I want to point out is the one about Car Seat by Age and Size. I think this important because I’m constantly having conversations with other parents about the right time to turn around the car sear or when they should upgrade.

Recommended Car Seat Types by Age and Size

 Rear Facing Car Seat

Birth – 12 Months

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats:

Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing Convertible and all-in-one car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

1 – 3 Years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.

Forward Facing Car Seat

1 – 3 Years

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.

4 – 7 Years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

 Booster Seat

4 – 7 Years

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

8 – 12 Years

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.

Take a moment to double-check your child’s car seat according to the instruction manual and visit a local car seat inspection station. Most police stations in Maryland have certified inspectors but you’ll need to call a schedule an appointment. Local hospitals, Health Departments, and Fire Squads across the state have these services available also.  According to AAA, 3 out of 4 car seats are installed incorrectly. Is this you? Car crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for all children (AAA) but the rates can be drastically reduce if we, the parents, took a moment to Check The Car Seat.

More information about car seat safety can be found at:

http://safeseats4kids.aaa.com/

http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/childsafety_laws.html

Photo Creds: Mountian Buggy