Safer Child Products

I have heard so many stories of frustration from parents saying their car seats don’t fit properly in their car.  This is often a problem, especially if you have to put a larger seat rear­-facing, or when you need to fit 2 or 3 car seats across.  Did you know that Evenflo does not allow a RF car seat to be touching the back of the seat in front of it? Their infant carriers must be 1 ½ inches from the seat back in front of them. Think about it. How many vehicle manufacturers are there?  Multiply that by the number of child car seat manufactures and then don’t forget to include the number of different car seat models and vehicle models!  It’s impossible for every car and every car seat to be compatible with so many sizes and shapes of each one!

I find it so frustrating that some manufacturers allow the handle of the infant carrier to be upright while others require it to be back.  There are no hard and fast rules about what car seat is best.  More expensive does not necessarily mean better.  All child car seats need to meet the same safety standards.  You need to choose the car seat that fits best in your car, is appropriate for the age, height and weight of your child and is easy for you to use, so that you will use it the right way, every time you travel. It is so important to read the owners’ manual that comes with your car seat and to reference the vehicle owner’s manual as well.

When shopping for a car seat, ask the store manager if you can try it in your car.  I’m not sure if you will need to buy it first, but if so, be clear about the return policies of that store.  You may be able to take it right out into the parking lot and try it in your car. 

Do you know which positions in your car are able to be used with LATCH?  Has using LATCH made your car seat installations easier?  That’s now always the case.  Check out this article about the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) which were instituted to make car set installation easier.    http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/04/study-says-baby-seats-hard-to-install-in-most-cars/1#.T7pisEVfEWo

Once you’ve read the owner’s manual and installed your seat, consider going to get your installation checked by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.  Visit www.safekids.org for a list of checkup events or inspection stations in your area.

Safer Child Products

I am always curious what parents will do to keep their kids happy in the car.  Do you have toys in the car?  Are they soft, or can they become dangerous projectiles in the event of a crash?  Do you play kiddie music over and over or sing until you are blue in the face?  How about feeding the kids in the car?  I always had snacks with me to keep my children happy while riding in the car.  To this day, my daughter acts like she cannot survive 10 minutes in the car without eating.  When she is hungry, she wants food NOW!

However, with so many choices of car seats and unclear, ever changing guidelines I worry that some parents will change their child’s car seat too soon.  When the baby gets heavy in the carrier, or their toes are hitting everything as you walk by, there is no reason to keep them in the infant carrier (except maybe convenience of portability).  Many convertible car seats can be used rear facing and forward facing.  Just because you move the baby to a bigger seat, certainly does not mean to put the seat forward facing if they are not ready.

Many of the child car seats on the market can be used Rear Facing from as little as 5 pounds and to as high as 35 or 40 pounds.  Check the sticker on the side of your child car seat or the instruction manual.  It is a good idea to keep the instruction manual either attached to the back of the car seat or in your car, so it is available for easy reference. I’ve made that mistake and been asked at a car seat safety check if I have my manual and I did not.  I’ve found that I had questions about where to put the top tether and I’ve had to dig around in the file cabinet to find the instruction manual.

So, you may ask, my baby is always so unhappy in the car and hates to be rear facing.  Unfortunately, this does happen, but perhaps the baby would be happier in a larger seat.  The right seat is the one that fits properly in your car, is easy for you to use and meets the height and weight requirements or your child.

http://www.car-safety.org/rearface.html

Safer Child Products

Do you ever wonder where the safest spot in the car is for your child? You need to take into consideration their age, the type of Child Restraint, how many people typically ride in your car and the recommendations of both the Vehicle Owner’s Manual, and the Child Restraint Manual. Then see what configuration works best in your car.

What really concerns me is that I have seen so many children under the age of 8 riding in the front seat of a vehicle, without even benefit of a booster seat! 

On the visor of the passenger side of my car there is a warning:  “Children can be killed or seriously injured by the air bag. The back seat is the safest place for children.”

The vehicle owner’s manual says “Children 12 years old and under should always be properly restrained in the second or third row seats.”

I understand if you have a large family, or are transporting many children, you need to figure out the best seating position for all of them.  If you have no other choice than to use the front seat, see if you can switch off the passenger side airbag and move the seat back as far as possible.  However, NEVER put a rear facing child restraint in front of an active air bag!  So, why do so many parents act carefree and let their young children ride in the front seat?

Most children of this age should be in car seats or booster seats. Most children this age are not tall enough to use a lap/shoulder belt without a booster seat.  As stated in www.safekids.org, “For children ages 5-9 who are under 4 feet 9 inches tall and less than 80 to 100 pounds, a car seat or booster seat is recommended.”

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