Advice for parents about car seats

Motor vehicle crashes are the No. 1 killer of children from ages 1 to 14 and about 50 percent of these deaths involve children under 5 that were unrestrained. The right child seat and the correct use of that seat is the most important mechanism available to protect children during a car crash.

But even for parents who do buckle up their children, car seat misuse is reported in 80 to 95 percent of cases.

To ensure your children travel safely and securely, safety industry expert Steve Wallen, president and general manager of IMMI’s SafeGuard division, a leader in child passenger restraints, has provided the following advice about children’s car seats.

These tips will help parents and grandparents make sure their small child is properly restrained and as safe as possible while driving:

First and Foremost

•Never place a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an airbag.

•The safest place for all children to ride is in the back seat in a restrained child car seat that is weight and age appropriate.

•Set a good example by always wearing your seat belt. According to a study by the Air Bag Safety Campaign on recent seat belt use studies from 10 states, restraint use for young children was above 80 percent when adults were also buckled.

Installation

When installing a car safety seat, it is important to remember:

•The seat should be installed as tightly as possible into the vehicle.

Grab the car seat at the base, where the seatbelt goes. The base should not move more than one inch side-to-side or front-to-back. Some slight movement at the top of the seat is normal, though a tether will reduce this movement in forward-facing car seats.

•Your child should be buckled snugly into the vehicle. Ideally, you want the harness as tight as the child can ride comfortably, and the car seat coupled as tightly as possible to the vehicle with the seatbelt or LATCH system.

•Ensure that the plastic harness clip, if the seat comes with one, is at armpit level to hold shoulder straps in place.

•Blankets, if used, should be tucked around the child after ensuring the harnesses are secured snugly.

•Always use the correct harness slots and ensure they are snug. Shoulder straps should be at or slightly below shoulder level in a rear-facing seat, and at or slightly above shoulder level for a forward-facing seat. For many seats, you will need to disassemble the harness to adjust this. Some seats have a simple mechanism that allows adjustment while the child is in the seat. Ensure the harness straps lie flat and are not twisted in any way.

Selecting a Child Car Seat

If you are selecting a new child car seat, remember:

•Some models have different features—select one that has the features that will allow you to use it correctly every trip. Make sure to choose a car seat that has a good return policy in case it doesn’t fit.

•Remember each car safety seat is different, so read and keep the instructions that came with the seat.

•The safest seat for your child is one that fits him/her well and fits in your car well. Make sure to choose the proper type of seat for your child. In general, the longer he or she can ride in a 5point harness, the better.

•You should never purchase a used car seat. If it has been in a crash or modified in any way, it may not function and protect your child as well as a new child seat.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.