subject: Infant Passenger Safety - What Parents Need To Know [print this page] We are all aware that every year thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. One of the proven ways to keep children safe while they are taking a car ride is the proper use of car safety seats. But there are various types of car safety seats on the market, and choosing the right one according to the age of the child can be quite overwhelming.
According to NHTSA, car safety seats are 71% effective in reducing deaths for infants and 54% effective in reducing deaths for children ages 1 to 4 years. Belt-positioning booster seats reduce the risk of injury by 59% for children ages 4 through 7 years. Clearly, restraining infants and children in the proper car safety seat does help keep them safe.
The first point to remember for infant safety in a car is that all infants should always ride rear-facing until they are at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should remain rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.
Incidentally, there are two types of rear-facing car safety seats: infant-only seats and convertible seats. The salient features of infant-only seats are as follows:
-They are small and have carrying handles
-They are used only for travel. Do not use them for positioning outside the car.
-They are to be used for infants between 22 and 32 pounds, depending on the model.
-Many infant-only seats come with a detachable base which can be left in the car.
The salient features of rear-facing convertible seats are as follows:
-These can be used rear facing and then 'converted' to forward facing when the child grows up. They are heavier than infant only seats and are not equipped with carrying handles or a separate base.
-The limits of weight and height are higher in these types of seats.
-They have two types of harnesses.
In order to protect the interest of parents of infants and their pediatricians regarding the right kind of safety measures for infant passengers the American Academy of Pediatrics has provided certain guidelines:
-Car safety seats should be used every time the infant travels in a car.
-The car safety seat and vehicle manufacturers' instructions must be read and followed strictly.
-The 'best' car safety seat for your infant is the one that fits the vehicle and that can be used correctly all the time.
-In case you have problems in the installation of your infant car safety seat, remember there are Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians who are trained specially in installing car safety seats properly. They can help parents that their children are as safe as possible on the road.
If you are the parent of an infant and wish to ensure complete safety for him when he is traveling in the car, the above guidelines should be followed and complied with.
