The aim of the child safety seat is to properly restrain the child in the event of a crash. While there is no escape-proof child seat, the combination of quality car seats, parental oversight and parental firmness keep children in their seat. According to a study in which SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. participated, most children respond to parental firmness quickly.
It is quite possible that you are not doing anything wrong, as some child safety seats and vehicle belt systems are not compatible. Your best bet is to read the instructions that come with the child seat and all sections in the vehicle manual that discuss safety seat installation. Don't take "make-shift" measures. Your child should fit securely in the vehicle seat. If your child doesn't, visit Buckle Up Virginia or call 1-800-732-8333 for assistance. You could also find a certified child passenger safety technician in your area at SafeKids.org.
When the seat is properly installed, you should not be able to move it more than one inch from side to side or front to back.
A tether can help anchor a forward-facing child restraint more securely. During the next three years, manufacturer-supplied tethers should be used and are available for many forward-facing car seat models. Many vehicles have predrilled holes for tethers. New child safety seats will have three standard attachments: one on top and two at the base. All new vehicles will have standard anchors in the back seat designed to link to these safety seat attachments. This standardized system for installing child safety seats in cars and light trucks is called LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).
The center of the back seat is the safest place for a car seat. If the car seat does not fit in the center-rear, then the passenger-rear seat is acceptable as the next best choice.
The center of the back seat is the safest place for a car seat. If the car seat does not fit in the center-rear, then the passenger-rear seat is acceptable as the next best choice.
For many parents this is a concern, but the bottom line is that the back seat is the safest place for a child of any age to ride. If you travel alone, allow plenty of time to pull off the road to periodically check your baby. Compare your child traveling to your child sleeping. You probably don't watch your baby sleep throughout the night. A healthy baby properly secured in a safety seat should not need constant watching. If your baby has a health condition, then two adults should be in the car when the baby is traveling, one to watch the baby and one to drive.
Keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible. It's the best way to keep your child safe by safely cradling your baby's head, neck, and torso. You can position your baby's seat facing forward when your baby is at least two years old and has reached the maximum weight and height limit allowed by your car's manufacturer.
Do not place children in the front seat. The safest place is in the rear seat properly buckled. Bring soft toys to keep them occupied. Keeping them in the back seat may sound difficult to do, but it could save your child's life.
If you do not have shoulder belts in the back seat, use the lap belt since it at least keeps the passenger from being thrown from the car in a crash. Being thrown from the car increases the risk of death by four times compared to staying in the car. If shoulder belts are available, place the child in one of the side seats instead of in the center. However, children between 6 and 8 years of age (approximately 40 to 80 pounds) are safest when seated in booster seats with a shoulder/lap safety belt over them. Booster seats boost small children higher so they fit better and more comfortably in adult safety belts.
While there are no height/weight requirements, children are much safer seated and properly restrained in the back seat regardless of age or the presence of an air bag. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), putting a child in the back seat instead of the front seat reduces the risk of death by 27 percent. Given this, if a child is very small, they are safer if restrained in the back seat.
Yes. Air bags inflate at speeds up to 200 mph. The blast can severely injure or kill passengers sitting too close. Children are more likely than adults to sit too close to an air bag. As a rule of thumb, children under age 12 should ride properly restrained in the center of the back seat.
Yes. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) strongly recommends the use of a child safety seat, but does not require it. If you buy a ticket for your child, you have the right to use a safety seat. But if you don't buy a ticket, you may want to check with the airline about the use of a nearby empty seat. Check the labels on your car seat to make sure if it is certified for use in an aircraft. Make sure the base of your safety seat is no wider than 16 inches so that it fits into a coach-class seat.