Nearly 7 years ago, when my oldest daughter was ready to move on from her infant car seat, I began researching car seats and what our next step should be. I quickly learned that, while she was ready to move onto a bigger car seat, she was not ready to be turned forward facing. I became interested in learning more about car seat safety and soon found that only 1 in 4 children are riding safely, despite the fact that car accidents are a leading cause of death for children in the US. I wanted to make sure other parents knew about this and began sharing everything I could to my social media pages. In June of 2016, I finally became a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). Now I help educate parents and caregivers about the importance of car seat safety. Recently I made this "cheat sheet" and decided to devote a blog post to it. I hope some of you will find it helpful!
Keep in mind, this is meant to be a source of quick information. Information on the topic is subject to change and you should check several sources when it comes to your child's safety.
Installation
It is extremely important to make sure your child's car seat is installed correctly. Car seats go through rigorous crash testing with crash test seats that are installed correctly. Your best bet at keeping your child safe is making sure your child's seat is installed the same way it was during the crash test it passed before being put on the market.
Meeting with a CPST is the best way to ensure you get all of the basics of installation covered. But, reading the manual is also really, really important. Remember, a car seat is a lifesaving device. Its primary purpose is to keep your child alive in the event of a crash. If ever there were an instruction manual to read, this is it.
Below are a few installation basics. These basics cover most seats, but I can't verify they are true for every seat on the market. Again, read the manual and, if possible, meet with a CPST in your area!
Your child's seat should be installed so that it does not move more than 1 inch from side to side at the point of installation. If it moves more than 1 inch from side to side, it is not tight enough.
You should install your child's car seat using either the seatbelt or the lower anchors, but not both. There are some exceptions to this, but both the vehicle manufacturer and the car seat manufacturer have to state that it's okay to do, and that is a pretty rare occurrence.
When installing a seat forward facing you must connect the top tether. The top tether can help to prevent too much forward head movement in the event of a crash, which could save your child's life.
Make sure you are using the correct belt path for installation. Convertible seats will come with two belt paths, one for rear facing and one for forward facing. Too often caregivers install their child's seat using the incorrect belt path.
Read your vehicle manual, too! Your vehicle may have specific rules for car seat installation. You can also read the manual to find out what type of locking mechanism your seatbelts have, and which seats are equipped with LATCH (lower anchors & tethers for children).
Proper Buckling
In addition to installation, proper buckling is also extremely important. I've come across many instances of improper buckling. Just like with installation, you want to make sure your child is buckled in their seat the same way the crash test dummies were buckled when the seat passed its crash test. Below, you will find the basics on properly buckling your child into their car seat.
If your child is rear facing, the harness needs to come from at or below their shoulders. If they are forward facing, the harness needs to come from at or above their shoulders.
The harness should not have any twists! This is one I see very often. Twists in the harness can prevent it from being tightened correctly.
The chest clip should be place at armpit level
The crotch buckled MUST be buckled! Too often I see parents only buckling the chest clip. Both must be secure in order for your child's car seat to do its job.
The harness should be "snug as a hug." It should be tight enough that you are not able to pinch any slack from it (but not so tight that they can't breathe).
Which Seat??
One of the most common questions parents and caregivers ask about car seats is when they can move their child to the next step. This is a big one, and it's important. Laws are beginning to change in favor of safety and recommendations from the American Association of Pediatrics. But, there are still many parents who are moving their child to the next step before they're really ready for it. Hopefully the guidelines below will help answer some questions about what is best for your child.
Rear facing
Children under 2 years of age should ride in a rear facing car seat
Many parents use what is often referred to as an infant car seat - once your child outgrows this seat they should continue to rear face in a convertible seat.
While 2 is the minimum age to turn your child forward facing, the American Association of Pediatrics recommends rear facing as close to age 4 as possible
The reason? The C-3 vertebrae in the human spine does not fuse with the neck until somewhere between the ages of 3 and 6. Frontal impact crashes are the most common, and a forward facing child has an increased risk of severe or fatal injuries due to the force of a crash on their fragile necks.
Forward facing with 5-point harness
Child should ride in a forward facing car seat with a harness until they are at least 5 years old (but longer if their car seat's limits allow it).
There are a lot of different seats on the market that allow for forward facing with a 5-point harness; the convertible seat you had rear facing can be turned around and installed forward facing (following instruction in the car seat manual), or a combination seat can be purchased that is often forward facing only, and often can eventually can be used as a booster seat.
Children must remain harnessed until they are at least 5 years old, or until they are mature enough to sit correctly at all times in a booster seat with a seatbelt. Children who lack the maturity to remain in the correct seated position should remain in a 5-point harness until they are able to sit correctly (even while asleep).
Booster seats
Your child can ride in a booster seat once they are at least 5 years old, BUT, children who lack the maturity to remain in the correct seated position should remain in a 5-point harness until they are able to sit correctly (even while asleep).
The rule of thumb is to keep your child in a belt-positioning booster until they are at
least 4 feet 9 inches tall. Keep in mind, like all rules of thumb, there are exceptions. Once your child has reached this height, they should also pass the “5 step test” (credit to The Car Seat Lady for the graphic)
A few key things to keep in mind as you navigate the world of Child Passenger Safety
Your child is not a minimum! If your child’s seat rear faces to 40lbs and 40”, keep them rear-facing until they reach one of those limits. If it harnesses to 65lbs and 54”, keep them harnessed until they reach one of those limits. There are plenty of milestones to be excited about as you watch your little one grow, but when it comes to car seats, the next step is a step down in safety. Plus, you paid all that money for that car seat, get the most out of it!
You will hear all kinds of things from other people, but remember that you make the decisions for your child. Older folks may say, “we did it, and we survived!” But advances in car seat safety have been made because plenty of children did not survive, they’re just not here to talk about it.
There is not a *safest* car seat. All car seats pass the same crash tests. The best seat is the one that fits your car, fits your budget, fits your child, and that you can use correctly 100% of the time.
If you have questions click here to find a tech in your area.