Car seats frustrate me. They’re heavy and awkward and nearly impossible to install. The only time I ever mutter four-letter words in front of my kids is when I’m trying to latch a safety seat into the car.
But I also know that correctly installing a car seat is one of my most important jobs as a parent. Thousands of children die in car accidents every year, and motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 6, according to a 2005 NHTSA study. Proper use of car seats helps keep children safe.
Since Memorial Day Weekend marks the beginning of family road trip season, I decided to check in with an expert on car seat safety. Dr. Laura Jana is a pediatrician, a consultant to Britax car seat manufacturer, and a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician, which means she endured five days worth of classes on proper installation of children’s car seats.
Do most families install their car seats correctly? Actually, 80 to 90 percent install them incorrectly. This is ironic because motor crashes are responsible for far more injuries and deaths than many of the other things moms worry about these day.
What are the most common mistakes parents make when installing car seats? Turning their kids face-forward too soon. You don’t have to celebrate your child’s first birthday by flipping his car seat around. In fact, he’ll be safest if you wait as long as possible to do so.
When do you know it’s time? Technically, when your child no longer fits within the specified height and weight limits of the car seat.
But many parents turn their kids face-forward earlier? The current recommendations are that all infants should ride rear-facing until they are both 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. Keep in mind that this is the bare minimum.
What other mistakes do parents make? They don’t know that the seatbelt should be locked in place when installing a car seat. In many vehicles, you simply need to pull the seatbelt all the way to the end so it will switch into locking mode. Many new car seats also come with tethers yet parents forget to secure these as well. As for securing a child in the seat, parents don’t tighten the harness straps tightly enough. You should be able to fit only one or two fingers between the strap and the child.
When are kids ready for the booster seat? Children are safest using a seat with a five-point harness, so the wisest approach is to keep them in one until they no longer fit the height and weight limits of their seat. Fortunately, there are now seats available that allow use of the harness straps up to higher weight limits (well above usual 40-pound cutoff). In fact, my own 50-pound 8-year-old sits in Britax’s new Frontier seat, a combination seat with a five-point harness restraint that can be used up to 80 pounds.
As for getting out of a booster seat and using just the vehicle’s seatbelt–don’t be in a rush. Laws vary by state. California’s booster seat law mandates that children who are under age 6 (regardless of weight) or who are under 60 pounds (regardless of age) be properly secured in a child restraint. From a safety standpoint, however, this is too young for children to set aside their seats. Before children can go without a booster, they need to be able to sit all the way back on the vehicle’s seat with the shoulder belt crossing over their shoulder instead of their neck and the lap belt sitting low across their hips (not over their belly), and have their knees bend comfortably over the edge of the seat. This is something kids often can’t do until 8 to 12 years of age. Think of it this way: My 10-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter both still reap the safety benefits of sitting in booster seats, including the added feature of side impact crash protection they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Where’s the safest spot in the car for a safety seat? Behind the passenger or driver or in the middle? The safest spot is in the middle of the backseat, assuming, of course, that the seat fits there properly.
What can you do to make sure your seat is properly installed before taking off for a road trip? Have a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician check your installation. (You can find one through the National Highway Transportation Association.)
What if you don’t have time for that? Always read the car seat manual and your vehicle manual. You can’t believe how many parents never read either.
What about all the extra car seat accessories that are for sale these days? Head support pillows? Mirrors? Strap pads? Don’t use them! Only use products that come with the seat, which have been crash-tested and proven to be safe for use. Car seat manufacturers put a lot of time into crash testing. These after-market products aren’t tested.
When can you allow your child to sit in the front seat? Never. Well, unless you have five kids and there’s not enough room in the back. Technically speaking, the recommendation is not until the age of 12, but studies show that the backseat is safest.
Where can I get more information? The National Highway Transportation Association is a great resource. Also, carsafety.org and the Britax Safety Center. And the Web site for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers videos for parents.
