Safety Guide for Child Booster Seats

Reports done in the United States reveal that car accidents are the primary reason for child deaths. With the way things are today, children spend more and more time in cars which increases Childs chances of being in a car accident. To help protect children while riding in a car it is required to place a child in a booster seat. There are several styles of child protection for the car, but the booster seat is the most common.

The basic meaning of the term booster seat is a seat that raises the child so that the vehicles safety belts will restrain the child properly. If a child is not restrained properly in the vehicle, then the safety seat belts which are designed for adults could actually harm the child rather than help. With thought of child safety in mind any child that has outgrown their car seat should be placed in a booster seat until the child reaches the age of 8 and are 4′ 9″ tall. This comes from the National Highway Safety Administration.     Read more...

Baby Car Seats Safety Tips # 3

40 to 80 or 100 pounds :

• Use a booster seat correctly in a back seat every time your child rides in a car.
• Older kids get weighed and measured less often than babies, so check your child’s growth a few times a year. Use a booster seat until your child weighs between 80 and 100 pounds, is about 4 feet, 9 inches tall and can pass the Safety Belt Fit Test. For most children, that will be between ages 8 and 12.
• Tell all drivers who transport your child that booster seat use is a must when your child is in their vehicle.
• A booster seat uses no harness. It uses the vehicle’s lap and shoulder belts only. Be sure the safety belt is properly buckled.
• Booster seats are not installed tightly. They sit on the vehicle seat; the child buckles the lap and shoulder belt and wears the safety belt like you do. Never use only the lap belt.

Baby Car Seats Safety Tips # 2

Older than age 1 and more than 20 pounds:

• Use a forward-facing car seat correctly in a back seat every time your toddler rides in a car.
• Use the right car seat with a harness for your toddler’s weight and height. Toddlers are weighed and measured at every doctor visit, so be sure to keep track.
• Use the car’s safety belt or LATCH system to lock the car seat into the car. Your car seat should not move more than one inch side to side or front to back. Grab the car seat at the safety beltpath or LATCH path to test it.
• Put harnesses through the slots so they are even with or above the child’s shoulders. Some seats require use of the top slots when the seat is forward-facing, so check instructions.
• Be sure the harness is tight, so you can’t pinch extra webbing at the shoulder.

Baby Car Seats Safety Tips # 1

From birth to at least age 1 and 20 pounds:

• Use a rear-facing car seat correctly in a back seat every time your baby rides in a car.
• Use the right car seat for your baby’s weight and height. Infants are weighed and measured at every doctor visit, so be sure to keep track.
• Use the car’s safety belt or LATCH system to lock the car seat into the car. Your car seat should not move more than one inch side to side or front to back. Grab the car seat at the safety beltpath or LATCH path to test it.
• Put harnesses through the slots so they are even with or below the infant’s shoulders. Be sure the harness is tight, so you can’t pinch extra webbing at the shoulder.
• Adjust the chest clip to armpit level.

How Long Should Children Ride Facing the Back of the Car?

According to a 2008 article in the professional journal Pediatrics, children under age two are 75% less likely to be killed or suffer severe injuries in a crash if they are riding rear facing rather than forward facing. In fact, for children 1–2 years of age, facing the rear is five times safer.

If a baby is riding in an infant–only seat (the type that usually has a handle and detachable base) it should be replaced with a rear–facing convertible seat before the baby reaches the maximum weight specified (22-35 pounds) or if the top of the head is within an inch of the top edge of the seat. Most babies outgrow the typical infant–only seat before they are one year old, but they are not ready for a forward–facing seat. New convertible seats available today allow children to remain rear facing until they weigh 30-45 pounds, depending on the model.     Read more...