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Safety Tips for Child Safety Seats
Always properly secure your child in a car
safety seat--no matter how short your trip.
Using a car
safety seat can mean the difference
between life and death for your child. Many
children are killed or seriously injured
because they weren't in a car safety seat or were not
properly restrained.
Selecting a car safety seat for your child can be
challenging because of the wide selection
available. If you're confused about which car
safety
seat is best and how to correctly install one,
these questions and answers may help:
How can I tell if my child's car safety seat is safe?
There are many different brands of car
safety
seats. Make sure you buy one that meets the
Federal motor vehicle safety standard
indicated by a label on the seat. Don't
purchase or accept a used car safety seat if you can avoid it,
because car safety seats are designed to withstand
crash forces only once. If you do have a used
car safety seat, be certain you have all the
pieces and the proper installation
instructions. Otherwise, you may be taking a
real risk with the life and safety of your
child.
How do I correctly install my child's car
safety
seat?
Read the car safety seat instructions and your car
owner's manual carefully for specific
directions before buying and installing a car
safety
seat. Some car safety seats are not compatible with
certain cars.
The most common mistake is not installing the
car safety seat tightly enough in the vehicle. A car
safety
seat should not move more than one inch from
side to side or toward the front of the car
once it is in place.
What type of car safety seat should I use?
This depends on the age and weight of your
child. For babies who are younger than one
year and who weigh less than 20 pounds, use
a rear-facing car safety seat--it provides
more protection to the head and neck and
reduces the risk of injury in a crash.
Kids
older than one year and who weigh more than 20 pounds
may be placed in a forward-facing car safety seat,
but because a rear-facing seat is safer, the
child should remain in that type seat as
long as possible.
Place children between ages four years and
eight years or who weigh between 40 and 80
pounds in a booster seat, which raises the
child to a level that is high enough for the
seat belt to fit properly. Kids should ride on
booster seats until they are about 4'9"
tall.
Always place a
child in the back seat of a car--no matter
how old he or she may be.
For much more child car safety seat
information please visit the
Car
Safety Seat Guide published by the
American Academy of Pediatrics. Here is a
short list of safety tips from that Web
site:
• Always use a car safety seat. You can
start with your baby's first ride home from
the hospital.
• Never place a child in a rear-facing car
safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle
that has a passenger air bag.
• The safest place for all children to ride
is in the back seat.
• Set a good example - always wear your seat
belt. Help your child form a lifelong habit
of buckling up.
• Remember that each car safety seat is
different. Read and keep the instructions
that came with your seat handy, and follow
the manufacturer's instructions at all
times.
• Read the owner's manual that came with
your car on how to correctly install car
safety seats.
• If you need help installing your car
safety seat, contact a certified Child
Passenger Safety (CPS) Technician. To locate
one near you
and set up an appointment, call toll-free at
866/SEATCHECK (866/732-8243) or visit
seatcheck.org.
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