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Car Seats: Doing It Right
by Laura Jana, M.D., F.A.A.P.
reviewed by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P.
As of September 1, 2002, all car safety seats will be standardized.
For more information visit: www.nhtsa.gov/people/injury/childps/LATCH/DOTlatchFacts/
Most parents have the best of intentions when it comes to their children's safety; however, properly installing and using a car seat can pose a challenge to even the most conscientious mom or dad. Some recent estimates suggest that as many as 90 percent of all car seats are incorrectly installed.
Ideally, you should have your setup checked at a car-seat installation checkpoint. (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration can help you locate this service in your area.) But for those of you whose schedules are too packed to fit in an appointment any time soon, here are some pointers to help you buckle up the kids correctly:
- About face?: Many parents wonder when it's safe to turn their child's formerly rear-facing car seat to face forward. Much of the confusion surrounding this issue has to do with the "one year or 20 pounds" guideline. The current recommendation is actually one year and 20 pounds. In the event of a crash or an abrupt stop, children under the age of one do not have the neck muscles needed to adequately support their proportionally large heads when in a front-facing position, regardless of whether or not they have reached 20 pounds.
- It's better in back: Whenever possible, all car seats should be situated in the back seat. As a general rule, it's never a good idea to place an infant car seat in the front seat, especially if the car is equipped with an airbag.
- Read the instructions: OK, so you may not be the type of person who reads the instruction manual before using a new purchase. But take the time when you buy an infant car seat. Details such as how and where the seat should be secured are crucial to ensuring your child's safety. The NHTSA has photos of correctly and incorrectly installed infant car seats on its website that also can help.
- Safe and secure: An important part of correct installation is making sure that the car seat is tightly secured by a seatbelt. In order to determine this, you should push down hard on the safety seat so that it presses into the backseat cushion while you simultaneously tighten the belt. When you pull or push on the car seat, the seatbelt should remain tight and the seat base should not move more than one inch in any direction.
- Handle position: Many parents make the mistake of leaving the carrying handle up when they put their infant's seat in the car. The handle is designed to lend extra structural support when the seat is installed in the car, but to gain this extra support, the handle should be set back behind the head of the seat in most instances.
- Snug harness straps: Having your child's seatbelt fastened is a great start, but it isn't enough. The harness straps also must be secure enough that they rest snugly on your child's shoulders, adjusted so that you can slip only one finger underneath the straps at your child's chest.
- Harness clip: If you have the type of car seat in which a plastic clip holds the two harness straps together, always check to make sure that the clip is in the right position. It should rest at armpit level when the seatbelt is buckled and the clip is engaged.
- Locking clip: Car seats come with an extra little metal clip called a locking clip (often attached to the back of the seat). It's not necessary to use this clip in all cars to safely secure the seatbelts that hold the car seat, but when it's needed, it plays a very important role and needs to be installed correctly. (The best way to ensure this is to visit a car-seat installation checkpoint.) If you have a 1996 or later model-year car, you may not have to sweat this often confusing detail; while cars manufactured after 1995 are required by law to be equipped with seatbelt systems that secure safety seats without need of locking clips or other hardware, the reality is that some still require one to be truly secure.
- Warranty: Let's face it: In the fast-paced world of parenthood, warranties often end up in the garbage right along with the shopping bag. You should realize, however, that the warranty for your car seat is an important way for you to assure your child's safety. How? By sending it in, you make it possible for the manufacturer to notify you if it discovers any potential dangers or declares a recall involving your child's car seat.
- Used car seats: Buying used items for your infant can undoubtedly save you a lot of money, but in general, car seats should be bought new. If a car seat has been through a prior accident, it can lose its structural ability to keep your child safe in the event of another accident. Additionally, most used car seats do not come with their original instruction manual, much less the warranty.
More information:
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Created March 05, 2001
Reviewed August 15, 2004
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