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Car Seat Safety
By PappaBear | January 25, 2009
Every year it is estimated that 90,000 children under the age of eight are injured in car wrecks, and more than 1,000 that are killed. The best way to avoid such tragedies is to always make sure you use your child’s car seat consistently and correctly. All states require children under the age of three to sit in a car seat, and many laws require booster seats with older children as well. Besides for it being the law, using your child’s car seat properly could mean the difference between life and death. Here are some tips on how to keep your child the safest when traveling in a car:
It is highly recommended that you don’t use a used or second-hand car seat. Used car seats may have missing parts, and the plastic may have become weakened from excessive use. Before buying a used car seat, make sure it comes with its manufacturer’s instruction manual, has all of its parts, was never involved in an accident, and has never been recalled.
Avoid turning your child face-front in the car seat too soon. The most common type of crash is a head-on collision which can force your child’s head to jerk forward violently if they were facing forward. Leave the car seat in the rear position for as long as possible.
Always make sure to install the car seat correctly. Make sure everything is secured tightly to the car seat and it doesn’t move or slide any which way. As a law since 2002, all cars must be equipped with the LATCH system. If you have an older model car, it is highly recommended you update it with a LATCH system to keep your child safe and secure in the car seat.
If your car is a pre-1996 model, you may need to get a locking clip to hold the seat belt tight. If you can move your child’s seat belt more than an inch to the front or sides, make sure to install the locking clip about half an inch above the buckle.
Of course, always make sure your child is buckled into the car seat, making sure none of the buckles are twisted and they are secured tightly. Make sure that the plastic clip that holds the straps together isn’t too low. Slide the clip up to armpit level before securing it, or else there is a chance the child can be ejected from the seat. Besides for buckling your child into the car seat, make sure the actual car seat is buckled into the car as well.
Don’t move your child out of his car seat or booster too soon. Car seats should be used until your child weighs 40 pounds. Booster seats should be used until your child is 4 feet 9 inches tall and at least 8 years old.
Never hold your child on your lap while driving. You can not secure him tight enough and you can crush him to death in the event of a crash. Never let two children share one seatbelt together, and never let a child under the age of thirteen sit in the front seat. If they must sit in the front seat for whatever reasons, make sure to switch the passenger-side airbag off, since they can cause serious harm to children.
We at Sheetworld.com are invested in every child’s safety. By following these steps, you will be able to find peace in mind that your child is the safest he or she could possibly be. Safe driving!
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
February 13th, 2009 at 8:40 am
How true this is.