Tag Archives: used car seats

TEN TIPS FOR CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY (GUEST POST)

 By Emma Roberts – Ten Tips for Child Passenger Safety

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated that the number one cause of death among children in the United States is injury sustained in motor vehicle crashes. Unfortunately, some of these deaths and severe injuries could easily be prevented by following some simple car safety guidelines in relation to child passengers. These 10 tips can help you keep your child safe while you’re on the road, and shouldn’t be neglected even for short jaunts.

  1. Avoid Used Car Seats – Baby gear is expensive, and buying some items secondhand can translate to significant savings. One item that you should never buy used, however, is your baby’s car seat. In addition to the fact that car seats do have expiration dates, you have no way of knowing whether or not a used seat has been involved in an accident. Should you ever become involved in even a minor crash, it’s also important that you immediately replace your child’s car seat. Even non-serious accidents can damage the inner workings and safety features of a car seat in ways that aren’t immediately apparent.
  2. Install Car Seats Correctly – Properly installing a car seat can be challenging, especially if you’re unfamiliar with a particular model. However, ensuring that your child’s seat is installed correctly could very easily be the difference between him escaping a crash unscathed or sustaining very serious injuries. Child Passenger Safety Technicians offer free installation instructions, which is a service you should take advantage of. Visit safekids.org to locate a safety tech near you.
  3. Adhere to Size and Age Guidelines – It can be tempting to turn your infant forward-facing before she’s ready or allow your older child to transition out of his booster seat a bit early, but the age and size guidelines put in place by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration exist for a reason. Adhering to these guidelines may not always be convenient, but could very well save your child’s life.
  4. Booster Seats are Necessary – Older children, especially those that are smaller than their classmates and are not ready to transition out of a booster seat, often resent being forced to use one. Seat belts in your vehicle, however, are designed to protect an adult in the event of a crash, not a child. He simply is not safe without his booster seat until he’s reached the upper limit of the size and weight restrictions.
  5. Avoid Distractions – Keeping your children safe in the car doesn’t just depend upon your ability to install car seats and enforce booster seat rules; you also have to avoid distractions that could potentially lead to an accident. Talking or texting while driving, scanning the radio, or even manipulating a GPS can all be distractions that could lead to potentially deadly crashes. This also sets a bad example for older children who will someday be behind the wheel.
  6. Don’t Negotiate With Older Children – Regardless of how much your kids beg and plead to be allowed to ride in the front passenger seat, it’s important that you stand your ground and refuse to negotiate with them on the subject. Remember, your kids’ safety is non-negotiable.
  7. Pull Over – If you have to retrieve a fallen toy or soothe a crying baby, it’s imperative that you always pull over to do so. Even low-speed crashes can be serious for small passengers.
  8. Backseat is Always Best – Even when your child is old enough and large enough to transition out of her booster seat, the backseat is always the best place for her. Front passenger airbags deploy with an enormous amount of force, and can cause more injuries to a child than the crash itself. Remember that the restraints and safety features in the front seat of your car are intended to protect the larger, sturdier bodies of adults.
  9. One Child Per Restraint – Running a carpool or giving one of your child’s friends a ride to practice can leave your car a bit overcrowded, but you should never allow more than one child to share a single restraint. If there aren’t enough seatbelts in your car to accommodate each passenger, you should always make other arrangements.
  10. Never Leave Kids Alone in the Car – In some states, it’s illegal to leave a child in the car unattended, even for a moment. Vehicle safety for kids doesn’t just include the time that you’re in motion, but also when the car is parked. Kids left alone in a vehicle can be affected by the outside temperature, or be curious enough to crawl into the front seat, inadvertently knocking the car into gear.

While this list covers many of the safety considerations you should follow when transporting children, it is by no means exhaustive. There are a variety of things that you should know about car safety when children are involved in order to ensure that even the smallest passengers in your vehicle are secured properly and protected in the event of an accident.

 

POP QUIZ: CAR SEAT SAFETY (GUEST POST)

 This article is being shared with us by Debbie Denard, of Nanny.Net.  If you have a child or grandchild, take this quiz and see how well you do! 

1.) Installing your car seat, as well as maneuvering your child in and out of it, is easier when the seat is on one side of the car or the other. However, the recommended placement is in the center of the backseat. Is this rule one that can be safely bent?

  • A)   Yes. The placement of your child’s car seat should be what’s easiest for you to manage.
  • B)   No. It’s important to adhere to the center placement guidelines, as it’s significantly safer for your child in the event of an accident.
  • C)   Yes, if there’s a console between the two front seats.

2.) When should a child transition from rear-facing seats to those of the front-facing variety?

  • A)   When her feet touch the back of the vehicle’s seat.
  • B)   Around one year of age.
  • C)   When she’s reached the top weight or height limit allowed by the manufacturer of her car seat.

3.) You’re in a financial bind after purchasing baby items, and find a great deal on a used car seat. Is it okay to use a second-hand car seat?

  • A)   Yes. Every penny counts and you should save money wherever possible.
  • B)   Yes, as long as the seller assures you it’s never been in an accident.
  • C)   No, it’s never a good idea to purchase a second-hand car seat.

4.) When making a car seat purchase, is it better to choose one with a high weight limit, or a lower one that your child will outgrow in time to transition to a booster seat?

  • A)   A high weight limit.
  • B)   A smaller seat.
  • C)   The cheapest possible option.

5.) Your child is almost at the legal weight and height to transition from a car seat to a booster seat in your state, but she still fits comfortably in the high-limit car seat you purchased. Should you:

  • A)   Transition to the booster seat on the schedule recommended by your state.
  • B)   Continue to use the car seat until she no longer fits properly.
  • C)   Ask the child what she’d prefer.

6.) Your ten-year-old is clamoring to sit in the passenger seat. Is it okay to let him do so?

  • A)   Yes, as long as there’s no air bag, or an existing air bag has been disabled.
  • B)   Yes, as long as he wears his seat belt.
  • C)   No, even if there is no risk of air bag deployment.

7.) You’re planning to take a long-distance train with your toddler, who is far from graduating out of his car seat. Should he ride in his safety seat on the train?

  • A)   Yes, his safety seat is non-negotiable.
  • B)   No, his car seat is not a necessity for rides on a long-distance train.
  • C)   Only if he wants to ride in a safety seat.

8.) You’re bringing your newborn home from the hospital for the first time. Should after-market items like head positioners and strap covers be placed in her car seat?

  • A)   Yes, these products keep your baby comfortable in her car seat.
  • B)   No, these items can actually prove to be dangerous.
  • C)   Yes, but their value is mostly decorative.

9.) Your child is prone to motion sickness, which becomes problematic during longer car rides. Will turning his seat around so that he’s facing forward help?

  • A)   Yes.
  • B)   No.
  • C)   Maybe.

10.) You’re traveling by plane for a family vacation. The airline doesn’t require you to purchase a seat for children under the age of two; does this mean that it’s okay to leave the car seat at home?

  • A)   Yes. You’ll be forced to carry enough through the airport, and his car seat is an unnecessary burden.
  • B)   No, it’s safer to purchase the additional seat and properly install a car seat before take-off.
  • C)   Only if you plan to hold your child for the entirety of the trip. 

Answers:

Question 1: B. Because a child whose car seat is placed in the center of the back seat cannot be directly struck in a crash, he’s 43% safer than he would be on either side of the vehicle. The myth that consoles make center placement risky has been dispelled.

Question 2: C. Even if your child’s feet are touching the back of your car’s back seat, she’s still not too big to ride in a rear-facing position until she’s reached either the height or weight limit for her rear-facing car seat.

Question 3: C. In addition to the fact that you’re simply not able to accurately ascertain whether or not a seller is being honest with you regarding prior accidents, car seats also have expiration dates that older, used seats may have exceeded.

Question 4: A. When your child transitions from an infant seat, or if your chosen car seat is a convertible model, the longer you can keep her in a full car seat, the safer she’ll be. Don’t rush to transition to a booster seat.

Question 5: B. State requirements are often the bare minimum in terms of safety, so your child should continue to ride in a booster seat until she’s reached a weight or height that meets the upper limits put in place by the manufacturer.

Question 6: C. Even if the air bag in your front passenger seat is disabled or non-existent, the CDC recommends that they ride in the back seat until at least age 13.

Question 7: B. In fact, trains seats aren’t equipped with safety belts, making it impossible to install your child’s car seat safely.

Question 8: B. Any after-market items that are advertised as being an additional comfort measure may actually adversely affect proper head positioning and the fit of the car seat’s harness.

Question 9: B. The evidence supporting facing forward as a remedy for carsickness is purely anecdotal. A study reported by The Car Seat Lady shows that both front and rear-facing children showed identical 2% rates of carsickness.

Question 10: B. In addition to keeping your child safely restrained in the event of turbulence or difficulty in takeoff and landing, bringing your child’s car seat along ensures that you won’t be tempted to take the “short drive” from the airport to your destination without one.

How did you do on this test?  Make your child passenger(s) the safest little travelers they can be!