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12-28-2006, 02:44 PM
Kids’s Car Safety Brochure Text
Joy Miller, CPST
Some Facts:
8 out of 10 car seats are used incorrectly.
- Patterns of misuse of Child safety Seats, DOT HS 808 440
Motor Vehicle Crashes are the leading cause of all unintentional childhood injury deaths in the US.
- Safe Kids, CDC WISQUARS
Booster seats reduce injury to 4-8 yr olds by 59%.
-JAMA, carseatsite.com/statistics.htm
General Car Seat Guidelines:
* Harness straps should always be snug. You should not be able to "pinch" the straps together when tightened.
* The car seat should have less than 1" of movement at the belt path when installed correctly
* The seatbelt should be locked when any harnessed seat is installed in your vehicle
*Always read the car seat AND vehicle manual and follow both manufacturers instructions!
Infants-Toddlers
Infants must be rear-facing to a minimum of 20 lbs AND 12 months. Safety experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children stay rear-facing to the limits of their convertible seat, which is usually between 30-35 lbs or when the child's head is less than 1" from the top of the seat shell. Many children can rear-face past two years of age. The harness straps should always be in the slot that is at or below the child's shoulders when rear-facing. Good things to look for in any harnessed seat are: A five-point harness, a front adjuster, and harness slots tall enough to last through the expected life of the seat.
Toddlers-Pre-school
Toddlers should be rear-facing as long as possible, but once they exceed the rear-facing limits of their seat they should be forward-facing in a five-point harness until 40 lbs and at least 4 years old depending on maturity. Look for a convertible or combination seat with tall harness slots, and possibly even a weight limit higher than 40 lbs. The straps should always be in a slot that is at or above the child's shoulders for forward- facing.
Pre-school and Beyond:
The safest option is always being in a five-point harness, especially until the child is 40 lbs and old enough to sit correctly in a booster seat for the duration of every trip. There are options to harness children up to 80 lbs. If your child is ready for a booster, then look for a high-back booster that keeps the lap-belt low on hips and the shoulder belt across the shoulder. If you only have lap belts there are other options, but never use a booster with only a lap belt. Low-back boosters are an okay option for older kids, but a high-back provides significant protection in side-impact collisions, which are the most deadly. All kids should be in boosters until they are about 4'9" tall, and pass the 5 step test in the vehicle they are riding in.
Ready for no seat? The “Five Step Test”
*Does the child sit all the way back in the vehicle seat?
*Can their legs bend comfortably over the edge of the seat?
*Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and the arm?
*Is the lap belt low on the child's hips, NOT abdomen?
*Can the child stay seated like this the entire trip?
Recources:
www.car-seat.org
www.Carseatsite.com
www.cpsafety.com
www.usa.safekids.org/skbu/cps/index.html
Printed information is never a substitute for a personal consultation or your owner’s manual. Please contact me or another technician if you have any car safety questions.
Joy Miller
Child Passenger Safety Technician
carseathelp@aol.com
To contact another technician in the US:
http://www.safekids.org/certification/resources.html
Joy Miller, CPST
Some Facts:
8 out of 10 car seats are used incorrectly.
- Patterns of misuse of Child safety Seats, DOT HS 808 440
Motor Vehicle Crashes are the leading cause of all unintentional childhood injury deaths in the US.
- Safe Kids, CDC WISQUARS
Booster seats reduce injury to 4-8 yr olds by 59%.
-JAMA, carseatsite.com/statistics.htm
General Car Seat Guidelines:
* Harness straps should always be snug. You should not be able to "pinch" the straps together when tightened.
* The car seat should have less than 1" of movement at the belt path when installed correctly
* The seatbelt should be locked when any harnessed seat is installed in your vehicle
*Always read the car seat AND vehicle manual and follow both manufacturers instructions!
Infants-Toddlers
Infants must be rear-facing to a minimum of 20 lbs AND 12 months. Safety experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that children stay rear-facing to the limits of their convertible seat, which is usually between 30-35 lbs or when the child's head is less than 1" from the top of the seat shell. Many children can rear-face past two years of age. The harness straps should always be in the slot that is at or below the child's shoulders when rear-facing. Good things to look for in any harnessed seat are: A five-point harness, a front adjuster, and harness slots tall enough to last through the expected life of the seat.
Toddlers-Pre-school
Toddlers should be rear-facing as long as possible, but once they exceed the rear-facing limits of their seat they should be forward-facing in a five-point harness until 40 lbs and at least 4 years old depending on maturity. Look for a convertible or combination seat with tall harness slots, and possibly even a weight limit higher than 40 lbs. The straps should always be in a slot that is at or above the child's shoulders for forward- facing.
Pre-school and Beyond:
The safest option is always being in a five-point harness, especially until the child is 40 lbs and old enough to sit correctly in a booster seat for the duration of every trip. There are options to harness children up to 80 lbs. If your child is ready for a booster, then look for a high-back booster that keeps the lap-belt low on hips and the shoulder belt across the shoulder. If you only have lap belts there are other options, but never use a booster with only a lap belt. Low-back boosters are an okay option for older kids, but a high-back provides significant protection in side-impact collisions, which are the most deadly. All kids should be in boosters until they are about 4'9" tall, and pass the 5 step test in the vehicle they are riding in.
Ready for no seat? The “Five Step Test”
*Does the child sit all the way back in the vehicle seat?
*Can their legs bend comfortably over the edge of the seat?
*Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and the arm?
*Is the lap belt low on the child's hips, NOT abdomen?
*Can the child stay seated like this the entire trip?
Recources:
www.car-seat.org
www.Carseatsite.com
www.cpsafety.com
www.usa.safekids.org/skbu/cps/index.html
Printed information is never a substitute for a personal consultation or your owner’s manual. Please contact me or another technician if you have any car safety questions.
Joy Miller
Child Passenger Safety Technician
carseathelp@aol.com
To contact another technician in the US:
http://www.safekids.org/certification/resources.html