You’re just going to the store or for a short drive over to the neighbors. You live on a dirt road and no one ever speeds, including you. The kids are sleeping, and they need to be able to get more comfortable.
Ever said these words when thinking about whether or not to belt your kids into the car? According to healthychildren.org, each year thousands of children are killed or injured in car crashes - and a lot of those deaths and injuries could have been prevented with proper seat belt usage.
Infants should be in a rear-facing car seat, preferably in the back seat, until they reach a minimum of 20 pounds and are a year old. If your child outgrows his or her infant only seat, a convertible car seat is the next step up. This seat can be placed in either the rear or forward-facing position and gives larger infants, who haven’t yet reached their first birthday, a bit more room while still in the rear-facing position.
Once your little one has reached 20 pounds (and made a huge mess of his or her first birthday cake), they can sit in a forward-facing car seat. This seat should have a five-point harness system for maximum safety.
School-aged children can sit in booster seats, which come in a variety of sizes. One, for younger children, is a complete seat with a bottom and back, allowing the vehicle's seat belt to fit them properly. Older children can use a booster seat with only a bottom, provided they are tall enough that the seat belt sits across their chest. Booster seats should be used until a child reaches 4’9” tall and is 8-12 years old.
Older children can use seat belts, but Dr. Arlene Greenspan of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says all children younger than 13 should sit in the back seat. This provides the best protection.
Your car insurance carrier may provide car seat installation service, in which a qualified technician will come out and make sure your children's car seats are installed properly.
If you need more information to help you purchase the best car seat for your child, please visit healthychildren.org.
Posted by Keisha
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