subject: Basic Guide To Child Car Seats [print this page] Car accidents are responsible for the bulk of injuries and fatalities in young children. The use of a car safety seat can help safe your childs life. Besides, it is unlawful to fail to put a child in the proper safety seat. All parents must make sure their car and home is safe for kids. Use a car and home safety guide to determine which things you need to do to keep your baby safe at all times of his or her life. Read all the safety tips in the guide and childproof both your car and your home for the ultimate in safety.
There are different car seat safety laws depending on the state you live in. Car seats are mandatory in every state but you need to remember to purchase a good one and install it properly in your car. You need the right car seat for your brand of car and the right car seat for the size and age of your child. In practically eighty percent of cases, car seats are not properly placed in the car.
No infant car seat should be used in a car with a passenger-side airbag Put the car seat in the rear seat of the car and it should face backwards and tilted at a forty five degree angle for small infants. It can be more upright for kids who can sit on their own and are older. The seat must face the rear of the car until the child has outgrown the car seat according to the manufacturers instructions.
Place the harness straps completely snuggly so that you can just put a finger between the baby and the harness strap. Booster seats are appropriate for kids up to 80 pounds and a height of 4 foot 9 inches. Without a booster seat, the harness strap fits instead over the babys stomach and is dangerous in a crash. The booster seat helps the belt go over the childs shoulder and chesta much safer option. Never buckle more than one child per seat belt as this is dangerous.
Choose a five-point harness system for children as they stand a reduced chance of being ejected. Make sure the straps do not twist very easily and use the correct base for the car seat you have purchased. There is a new latch system that allows for car seat placement without seat belts. It comes in many newer models of cars. There is also an EPS foam or plastic system that cushions the side and front of the back seat so that the baby is protected against a rear or side-impact collision. Some car seats provide for wide and padded wings that protect baby when he or she falls asleep in the vehicle.
