When you have a baby, you look at that sweet little face and know that you’d do anything in the world to protect them. But, parenting— as anything, comes with a few growing pains. You’ve got a bunch of new responsibilities, and it’s easy to lose track. One thing that has to be perfect from day one, is your car seat safety routine. The truth is, a lot of people go at the installation process blind. But, in a study by the NHTSA on child restraint use, they found that 59% of car seats and 20% of booster seats are misused. There are certain rules of thumb to follow to make sure that you, and that sweet baby of yours,
Car Seat Safety Tips: Keeping Your Kids Safe
First things first, keep your child rear facing as long as possible
Rear-facing your child is much safer, and can keep the potential injuries in an accident down. It’s suggested to keep them rear facing until up to three years old. Most people think it’s uncomfortable for them to sit with their legs bunched up, but the alternative introduces the potential for more injuries. It is designed to district the crash forces in a more uniform manner.
Remove all the bulk before you buckle them in
Puffy jackets and cute little bear suits can be deceptive when you’re strapping them in. You want to get those straps as close to the body as possible. You can bundle them up after they’re strapped in. Doing so makes sure that, in the event of a crash, they are as snug as possible to prevent any moving around.
Tighten the straps, every time
It’s easy to be in a hurry and forget to readjust the straps every time. You did it last time, and they’re probably still just as snug, right? Well, chances are you loosened them a bit to take the child out. So, it’s important that you tighten them back up again to make sure the child is as secured as possible.
If you’re not sure, ask for help
You can always check out the internet, or ask a trained professional. Chances are, there is someone in your area that will be able to help you. So many people misuse their car seat, and in doing so— they are unintentionally putting their child in harm’s way. Your best bet if you’re feeling iffy is to ask for help. Whether it’s a friend, a professional, or google— make sure you’re taking the right steps.
Keep them in the backseat for as long as possible
I know, I know— when they turn 12 they feel like big kids, and to you— they are. But according to safekids.org, a seat belt doesn’t properly fit a child until they’re at least 57 inches tall, and weigh 80-100 pounds. So, keeping them in the backseat is safer. The mean reason is in that air bag.
Think about it, if someone hits you and the air bag comes out on a child who’s head doesn’t poke above the dashboard— consider where that air bag is going to hit. An airbag comes out at about 200 miles per hour. You don’t want to catch that bag in the face or neck.