Every parent wants their children to be safe. One of the most dangerous places for a child in the car. It is important that every time that you pack your children into the car you have the mindset that you are going to get into an accident. Make sure that your children are properly secured into their seats. According to SafeKids.org, 59% of car seats are not installed correctly, so it is highly likely that you are not installing the car seat as you should. Here are the most common mistakes.
- Second Hand Carseat: Yes, car seats can be expensive. There are some cheaper options, but it might be super tempting to grab a second-hand car seat to save some money. Never get a used car seat. The NHTSA "recommends that car seats be replaced following a moderate or severe crash in order to ensure a continued high level of crash protection for child passengers.” When you get a second-hand car seat you might not know what that car seat has gone through, or what kind of abuse it has gone through. It is important to understand that the job of a car seat is to protect your children once in the event of a crash. The car seat did its job and should be recycled after any moderate to severe crash. If you have had any noticeable damage to your car then it is likely you need to replace your car seat with a new one.
- Puffy Sweater/Coats: Parents don't want to go through the hassle of taking off their child's coat, or remove layers from their baby and so they place their baby into the car seat. Parents might also want to keep the coats on their babies because they are afraid of them getting cold. However, parents should always remove coats before placing them in the car seat. You might not see any harm in having a large coat on in the car seat because they are still restrained but they are actually not very safe. In the event of a crash, coats make it so your child can slip out of the car seat. According to Fatherly, "winter coats and car seats immediately reduce a car seat’s effectiveness and put a child in danger. Most winter coats are filled with bulky insulation ⏤ that’s what makes them warm. Unfortunately, that same insulation creates space between a child’s chest and the car-seat strap, which should fit snuggly when tightened." If you are wondering if a coat is too big then this is what you should do:
- Have your child put on her coat and sit in the car.
- Tighten the car seat like you normally would do.
- Unbuckle your child but do not adjust the straps.
- Have your child go back into the car seat and buckle them up.
- If you can pinch the straps then the coat is too big.
- Forward Facing too Early: It may seem very tempting to put your child forward-facing because you feel like they are going to have a much better car experience if they are able to see out the front window but the safest position is for your child to be rear-facing. Some states say that you can have your child forward-facing at two years old while some other states say that you can start having your one-year-old face forward. Although it is legal for your two years old to forward face it is much safer for them to rear face as long as possible. According to the American Acadamy of Pediatrics, "The current recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics is to keep children rear-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight for their convertible seat. This is usually at three to five years old, depending on the seat and the child’s growth. One-third of states in the U.S. have updated their child passenger safety laws to require rear-facing seats until age two." If children are involved in a car accident they have a much higher chance of suffering from a head or spinal injury if they are forward-facing. Very Well Family says, "The additional support the rear-facing car seat provides to the head and neck reduces your child's chance of being injured or worse in a crash. The rear-facing car seat is absorbing some of the energy of the crash, and then distributing the remaining energy along with the child’s head, neck, and back." They continue, "With the forward-facing child, the car seat isn't able to absorb as much of the energy, and more of it is transferred to the child—in particular to the head and neck as they pull away from the chest. "
- Strap Placement: It is important that children are not in charge of buckling themselves into their own car seat. Toddlers are not equipped to understand the importance of making sure the straps are perfect. First of all, in a rear-facing car seat the shoulder straps should be under the shoulder and not above the shoulder. The front buckle should also be clipped over the sternum and level with their armpits. If the straps are too low they can really harm your baby in the event of a crash. Make sure that the straps are not twisted and that you cannot pinch any of the straps. The straps should be snug.
- Angle: On every car seat there will be a little ball on the side that indicates whether or not your car seat is at the right angle for your child. If the angle is not correct then you need to adjust the seat. It is important to also pay attention to the side and it will tell you what type of incline you should have based on the height, age, and weight of your child. Babies will be laying more flat while 2-year-olds would be sitting more straight up depending on their size. Today's Parents says, "Most seats now come with a built-in indicator that will tell you if it’s installed at the proper angle—generally around 45 degrees. But it’s important to check your car seat’s manual, Shapka says because of the recommended recline angle for some seats changes with the weight of your baby."
- Heigh of the Back: When rear-facing, the child's head should not be within an inch of the top.
- More money does not mean more safety: People are under the impression that the cheaper car seats aren't as safe as the more expensive car seats. That is not true because all car seats have to pass the same safety requirements. Patrick Edmunds, a father and program manager of Buckle Up for Life, a national car seat safety program from Cincinnati Children’s and Toyota says, “While there are some really nice car seats with extra padding, fancy cup holders, trendy fabric patterns, and more bells and whistles, these are no safer than the more basic, affordable seats." Edmunds continues, “All car seats sold in the U.S. must meet the same standards by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.” Each seat is equally safe as long as the child fits correctly in the car and the child.
- Registration: Make sure that you register your car seat right when you purchase. If there are any recalls you will be called and emailed to make sure that you can replace the seat.
If you ever have any questions make sure that you are going and checking with a car seat technician. A technician can search through your car seat and explain exactly what you are doing wrong and they can make sure that it is perfectly safe. They are not there to judge you or to make you feel stupid. They are there to make sure that you are providing the safest ride for your child. Buckleupforlife.org is a "great resource for parents to find tips on installation and search for a certified car seat technician in their area to conduct a safety check on their seat. All you need to do is visit the website and punch in your zip code. Car seat checks are available in most cities across the U.S., and are usually free."
Sources: Consumer Reports, Fatherly, Very Well Family, Safe Ride 4 Kids, The Bump, Today's Parent, Buckleupforlife.org, Safe Kids Worldwide,