Most parents never intend for their children to sit in the wrong positions in the car, but unfortunately, it happens quite often and can lead to unnecessary injury and even death. Studies have shown that most car seats are not being used properly or even at all. Here are a few tips to help you make sure your children are being restrained correctly in the car.
Is your child sitting in the right seat?
It is important to ensure that your child is seating in the right seat when in the car. You can check this by carefully reading the manufacturer label and documents with the car seat. Each seat has an appropriate weight, height and age that must be met for that seat to work correctly for your child.
Are your children sitting in the right place?
The safest place in the car is in the back seat. So until your children are 13 or older they should ride in the back.
Are your children facing the right way?
The American Academy of Pediatrics now advise parents to keep their children rear-facing until the age of two or until they reach the max weight and height for their rear-facing seat. Dr. Dennis Durbin had this to say about why they have changed the age to two from the previous age of 12 months.
“A rear-facing child safety seat does a better job of supporting the head, neck and spine of infants and toddlers in a crash, because it distributes the force of the collision over the entire body,” Dr. Durbin said. “For larger children, a forward-facing seat with a harness is safer than a booster, and a belt-positioning booster seat provides better protection than a seat belt alone until the seat belt fits correctly.”
When the child reaches the max weight and height for the seat, they should then be transitioned to a forward-facing seat that is appropriate for their weight, height and age.
Is the seat secure?
Car seats can be difficult to install, but it is important to make sure they are in their securely. A good test is to try and move it after it is secured. If it moves more than an inch in any direction, you should tighten the harness straps or the seat belt holding it in.
For more information about the recommendations for child restraints in the car, visit the American Academy of Pediatrics website.
We hope these tips will be helpful to you. For information on home, business or car insurance – please give us a call at (770) 489-2403 or visit us online: http://sleekandwilliamson.com
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