Car Seat Safety 101

Jennifer Herren

Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician since 2001

and a Proctor School Parent

 

 

As parents, we travel in the car on a daily basis with our children. So, we all need to make sure that our children are riding safely in the car. That means always using the appropriate car seat, booster seat, or seat belt.

 

California Law:

All children under 6 years old or 60 pounds have to be properly restrained in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat!

All children under 13 years old must sit in the back seat!

However, we recommend that all Children under 4’9” tall and under 80 pounds be in an age appropriate child restraint.

 

Ninety-five percent (95%) of children's car seats

are used or installed incorrectly.

 

To know if you car seat is in the vehicle correctly, do the following steps:

 

1.   READ the car seats’ Owner’s Manual/Instructions

a.    Look at how to properly use and install the seat.

b.    Check to see where the harness straps should be for the type of installation you are doing ( i.e., Rear Facing or Forward Facing).

2.   READ the Vehicles’ Owner’s Manual.

a.    Check to see how your seat belts lock to hold a car seat in place.

b.    Check to see if your vehicle has LATCH Anchors and Top Tethers, and where they are located in the vehicle.

c.    Never Use Your Seat Belt and Your LATCH at the same time…one or the other!

3.   Check to make sure the seat is NOT expired or recalled. Most seats have a life of 5-7 years. See the ”How you can tell if you safety seat is safe?” Section below.

4.   To know if the seat is in correctly, you must check the following things:

a.    Grab the side of the seat near the BELT PATH with your Non-Dominant Hand and try to move the seat (with minimal force) side to side and then use both hands at belt path trying to move seat front to back. It shouldn’t move more than 1” side to side or front to back!

b.    For Rear Facing, check the angle of the seat. Most seats have a recline angle indicator on them. A general rule is that the seat should be reclined 30-45 degrees. But never more than 45 degrees.

 

How can you tell if your safety seat is safe?

Make sure the safety seat is less than 10 years old (preferably less than five), the expiration date stamped on the plastic has not passed, and it has never been used in a crash. You can’t be sure about the history of a used seat unless you got it from a friend or relative. You will need the detailed instruction booklet (it can be ordered from the manufacturer if it is missing) to check that the seat has all of its parts and to find out how to use it correctly. Check for possible damage, such as cracks in the plastic, frayed straps, stiff buckles or harness adjusters. If the safety seat passes all of these criteria, you still need to check for possible recalls. To do this you can contact the Manufacturer or visit the following website: www.carseat.org.

 

What Types of Car Seats are there?

·         Infant-Only seats are Rear Facing only (seat that you can carry & put on a stroller, and that comes with a base to install and leave in the car)

·         Combination or Convertible Seats can be rear facing or forward facing

·         Forward Facing Only with a Harness

·         Combination seats are forward facing and have a harness that is removable

·         Belt Positioning Booster seats that you use with the Vehicle seat belt

 

Infant only seats

These seats start at birth or 5 pounds (some start as low as 4 pounds) and they go up to 22-30 pounds for newer models (some older models only go up to 20 pounds-so check the manual).

 

Children under 1 year and 20 pounds are required to ride rear-facing in an infant seat or in a Rear Facing convertible seat. Some Infant/Convertible Car Seats can go rear-facing to higher weight limits. Check the Car Seat Owner’s Manual for height and weight information. Then, when the child out-grows the infant only seat, you would move them into a Convertible seat but still rear-facing!

 

Best practice says to keep them rear-facing to the highest rear-facing weight limit of the child’s convertible car seat!

 

How to tell if you child has outgrown their Infant Car Seat.

Once the child reaches the rear-facing weight limit of the car seat, or their head is 1” from the top of the seat back. You will then move them to a Convertible/Combination Seat and keep them in that seat until they reach the Rear facing weight limit or their head is 1’’ from the top of the seat back, again! Usually they will be well over a year old and closer to 18-24 months old!

 

Then, once the child has hit either the weight or height & they are over 1 year old, you may turn the child to Forward-Facing in their car seat (as long as it is allowed to be used in the Forward-facing Mode, remember to ALWAYS READ THE OWNERS’ MANUAL FOR YOUR CAR SEAT!).

 

Toddler Seats – Forward Facing

Toddlers are required to be in a forward-facing seat until at least 40 pounds or more (depending on the car seat’s weight limits). There are some convertible seats with harness limits that go up to 65, 70, and 80 pounds! The longer you can keep your child in a harnessed seat the better. So when you are shopping, look at the seat’s Harness weight limits for rear facing and forward facing. When you purchase a seat make sure that it fits your child, is compatible with your vehicle and that you can use it correctly & easily every time. Then, you will keep your child safe! Make sure you check the manual to see where the harness straps need to be once you turn the seat from rear facing to forward facing.

 

Start making it a habit now to always make sure everyone in your vehicle is buckled up correctly on every ride every time to keep everyone safe!

 

 

Booster Seats and Seat Belts

Typically, we don’t recommend booster seats until the child is at least 4 years and has outgrown their Convertible Seat. You want to use a Booster Seat until the vehicle’s seat belt fits properly (see 5-Step Test). Most Booster seats start with a weight limit of 30-40 lbs. and go up to 80-100 lbs. Weight and Height limits vary; check instructions. Please remember that a Booster seat MUST be used with lap and shoulder belt. The child’s head must be supported up to top of ears. If the vehicle seatback is low, use a booster with backrest. Some boosters come with a removable back and adjustable headrest.

 

The 5-Step Test

The child is ready for a safety belt if the answer to every question is “yes.”

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?

2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?

3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?

4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?

5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

 

 

RULES FOR CARPOOLS

If you're a member of a carpool or are planning to start one with neighbors and friends, make sure everyone rides safely. Follow these important guidelines:

• Check that each car has one usable safety belt for each person in your carpool, including the driver and babies and small children who ride in car safety seats.

• Provide a lap and shoulder belt for adults and children who have outgrown a safety seat with its own harness.

• Ask all your drivers to pledge to buckle up themselves and their passengers before every ride.

• Never transport children in the cargo area of a station wagon, pickup truck, hatchback, or van. Children should not ride in side-facing seats of RV's or trucks.

• Let all the children in your carpool know in advance that they will be expected to behave properly in the car and that they must always ride buckled up.

• Help your younger passengers behave by encouraging them to sing together, by talking to them, or by providing them with soft toys or books. Praise them for being good passengers and be firm about stopping undesirable behavior.

 

TIPS ON BUCKLING UP FOR CARPOOLS

• All children should ride buckled up in the back seat, since it is the safest part of the car.

• Never put a rear-facing infant in the front seat if there is a passenger air bag.

• Children under 40 lbs. should ride in a safety seat with a harness for best protection.

• Children who have outgrown safety seats with a harness need to ride in a safety booster seat until they can pass "The 5-Step Test" (available at www.carseat.org).

• Never put two people in one belt.

• Instruct your own children to insist on wearing safety belts any time they ride in a car without you.

 

OTHER CAR SAFETY TIPS

• Choose responsible drivers with well-maintained vehicles.

• Plan pickup points carefully. Avoid backing up where young children are pedestrians.

• Keep sharp or heavy objects in the trunk or on the floor.

• Keep doors locked and windows open only slightly.

• For more formal trips, be sure your school or other group has a firm policy on safety belt use and states the policy clearly on permission slips.

• Never leave a child unattended in or around a vehicle

 

Resources

www.carseat.org/

Go to the “Parents' Corner”, and then click on Helpful Handouts. There you will find several great informational handouts.

 

If you have a question for Jennifer Herren or want more information,

please contact her at carseatsafetymom@sbcglobal.net.