National Car Seat Safety Week & Tips from Safety 1st!

I don’t know about you, but I am always concerned when I buy a new car seat if it’s right for my child's height and weight, if I am installing it correctly, and if my child is strapped in correctly (call it OCD if you want).  This week is National Car Seat Safety Week and thanks to Safety 1st and Kimberlee Mitchell (a National Child Safety expert and Child Passenger Safety Technician, I have some great tips for all you moms and dads out there to make sure your child’s car sear is safe enough for your most precious cargo!

  Keep it conservative & consider safety before style.

Tip #1: CHOOSING A NEWBORN/INFANT CARRIER: (Your child’s first car seat.)
1.   Choose an INFANT CAR SEAT with the highest weight, height and age maximum for rear- facing. SOME GO UP TO 35 lbs, which is ideal!
a.    Your child is 75% safer in a crash when he is rear-facing so consequently; you will want to keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible.
2.    Make sure it FITS YOUR CHILD per manufacturer’s specifications.
3.    Make sure it FITS IN YOUR CAR’S BACK SEAT.
a.    READ the child restraint manual and the vehicle owner’s manual for with proper installation and for the best location for the seat.
4.    Make sure you can INSTALL IT CORRECTLY in the SAFEST LOCATION in car EVERY TIME.
a.    Make an appointment with a CPST to check your work and to learn proper installation techniques.

Tip#2: CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS: (Once they have outgrown the infant car seat.)
1.    Choose a CONVERTIBLE car seat with the highest weight, height and age maximum for rear- facing.
a.    Your child is 75% safer in a crash when he is rear-facing so consequently; you will want to keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible.
b.    When your child reaches the maximum height or weight for rear-facing, turn the car seat forward -facing.
2.   Make sure it FITS YOUR CHILD per manufacturer’s specifications.
3.    Make sure it FITS IN YOUR CAR’S BACK SEAT.
a.    READ the child restraint manual and the vehicle owner’s manual for with proper installation and for the best location for the seat.
4.   Make sure you can INSTALL IT CORRECTLY in the SAFEST LOCATION in car EVERY TIME.
a.    Make an appointment with a CPST to learn proper installation technique.

Tip #3 CHOOSING A BOOSTER SEAT: CHILDREN 8 YEARS OLD & UNDER or 4 feet 9 inches and under:
1.    Choose a high back belt-positioning booster with that highest weight, height and age maximum.
2.    Make sure it FITS YOUR CHILD per manufacturer’s specifications.
3.    Make sure it FITS IN YOUR CAR’S BACK SEAT.
a.    READ the child restraint manual and the vehicle owner’s manual for with proper installation and for the best location for the seat.
4.   Make sure you can INSTALL IT CORRECTLY in the SAFEST LOCATION in car EVERY TIME.
a.    Make an appointment with a CPST to learn proper installation technique.

TRY IT BEFORE YOUR BUY IT:
Keep in mind that most retailers will allow you to take the child restraint out of the box to see if it fits your child.  Also ask if they will allow you to bring the child restraint to your car to make sure it’s a proper fit.  You’d be surprised how many seats don’t fit!  TRY IT BEFORE YOUR BUY IT and you will save yourself some frustration and wasted time.

CALL THE PROS TO CHECK YOUR WORK:
Then have the pros check your work as there any many variable people miss all the time.  We hear “I would have never thought about that!” and “I never considered the location of the car seats in my car being a safety hazard to my other children.”  Click here to find a Certified Child Passenger Safety Tech in your area!  God Speed and safe travels!

Tips used by permission of Safety 1st and can be found along with some great child safety information at Safety 1st blog!