VoodooChile
New member
If anyone wants to take a look and make sure my "work in progress" is actually progressing, please do! I'm not done citing my sources yet.
Infant Carriers
· NEVER place a rear-facing child seat of any sort in a front seat where there is an active frontal airbag.
· Many infant carriers have a weight limit of 20-22 lbs and a height/length limit of 29”. The height limit is a guideline—the seat is outgrown when the top of the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Check your manual—if your child is too large for his/her carrier, please replace it with a convertible seat.
· In a rear-facing infant carrier, the harness straps must be at or below your child’s shoulders for a proper fit.
· Keep the chest clip at armpit level, not neck or tummy level.
· Many models require the carrying handle to be down while traveling; some models are reinforced, however. Check your manual before leaving the handle up.
· Have your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Convertible Seats
· It is safest to leave your child rear-facing for as long as the seat will allow. Many states require children to be rear-facing until they are at least 1 year of age and 20 pounds; however, most convertible seats have a rear-facing weight limit of 30-35 pounds. Car seats are also outgrown in rear-facing mode by height when the top of the head is an inch from the top of the seat shell.
· There is no such thing as the “best” car seat. The best seat is the one that fits your child, fits your budget, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. Choose the seat that has features that allow you to use it correctly.
· All current seats sold pass minimum government safety standards, but some manufacturers do go “above and beyond” in safety testing.
· Beware of used car seats. If you take one, be sure you have the manual, that the seat is not expired, and that you know the seat’s history.
· Seats that have been in an accident need to be replaced.
· Keep harness straps at or below shoulders for a child who is rear-facing, and at or above shoulders for a child that is forward-facing.
· Many models only reinforce the top harness slots for forward-facing; if your child is forward-facing, please check your manual to ensure your harness is safe.
· Keep the chest clip at armpit level, not neck or tummy level.
· When installing your seat, be sure to use the correct seat belt paths or LATCH hooks for either rear- or forward-facing. Don’t use both LATCH and the seat belt.
· A 45 degree recline is recommended for newborns and young infants who are rear-facing. Older babies and toddlers can have less recline.
· When forward-facing, an upright position with no recline is safest.
· It is best not to dress your child in bulky outerwear in his/her car seat. To check if a coat is too bulky, place your child in his/her seat with the coat on and adjust the harness to fit. Then remove your child’s coat and fasten the harness without adjusting. If the harness straps are too loose, the coat is too bulky.
· All models now feature tethers for forward-facing to reduce head excursion in a crash. They should be used whenever possible.
· A few models also feature rear-facing tethers designed to prevent rebound in a crash.
· Car seats do expire! It should be stamped into the plastic of the seat itself. Most seats are only good for 6 years after the date of manufacture.
· Have your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Combination / 3-in-1 Seats
· A 3 in 1 means it rear-faces, forward-faces, and then is used as a booster. A combination seat is a forward-facing harnessed seat that turns into a booster.
· Keep your child harnessed to the top weight limit (usually 40 pounds, but sometimes 65). Check your manual for the weight limit on your seat’s harness.
· When the child is 40 pounds (or the top weight limit for your seat’s internal harness—check your manual) or their shoulders are above the top harness slots, remove the internal harness and use the seat as a booster with the lap and shoulder belt.
· In some combo / 3-in-1 seats, the top harness slots are for adjusting the headrest, and are not designed to be used with the harness. Check your manual, and if the manual is unclear, call the manufacturer to ask if the top slots can be used with the harness.
· Have your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Boosters
· A child is held in place much better with a 5 point harness than with a booster. If your child will try to move around, fiddle with the seat belt, or falls asleep in the car frequently, consider keeping him/her in a harnessed seat.
· It is not recommended to put a child in a booster who is not at least 4 years old and 40 pounds.
· The shoulder belt should be across the center of the chest, not the neck—use the shoulder belt guide if it doesn’t fit properly.
· The lap belt should be high on the thighs or low on the hips, not over the tummy.
· Use a high back model if your car has low seat backs with no headrests. Some high back models also provide side-impact protection.
· A backless model is fine if your vehicle has headrests, or if there is plenty of growing room from the tops of your child’s ears to the top of the seat back.
· Younger children often don't fit with a backless. They're good for older children who are too tall or who literally just need a boost, but most young kids need the belt guide as well. Also, backless boosters provide no side impact protection.
· Many kids need to ride in a booster until the ages of 8-10 and the height of 4’9”. To tell if your child is ready to ride without a booster, ask these 5 questions:
1. Does the child sit back all the way against the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and the arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If you have answered “no” to even one of these questions, your child is safest in a booster seat.
· The back seat is the safest place for children under the age of 15.
Source
(2007). Car-Safetly.Org Vehicle and Carseat Safety Information. Retrieved January 16,
2007 from Car-Safety,Org Web Site: http://www.car-safety.org
Infant Carriers
· NEVER place a rear-facing child seat of any sort in a front seat where there is an active frontal airbag.
· Many infant carriers have a weight limit of 20-22 lbs and a height/length limit of 29”. The height limit is a guideline—the seat is outgrown when the top of the head is within an inch of the top of the shell. Check your manual—if your child is too large for his/her carrier, please replace it with a convertible seat.
· In a rear-facing infant carrier, the harness straps must be at or below your child’s shoulders for a proper fit.
· Keep the chest clip at armpit level, not neck or tummy level.
· Many models require the carrying handle to be down while traveling; some models are reinforced, however. Check your manual before leaving the handle up.
· Have your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Convertible Seats
· It is safest to leave your child rear-facing for as long as the seat will allow. Many states require children to be rear-facing until they are at least 1 year of age and 20 pounds; however, most convertible seats have a rear-facing weight limit of 30-35 pounds. Car seats are also outgrown in rear-facing mode by height when the top of the head is an inch from the top of the seat shell.
· There is no such thing as the “best” car seat. The best seat is the one that fits your child, fits your budget, fits your car, and will be used correctly 100% of the time. Choose the seat that has features that allow you to use it correctly.
· All current seats sold pass minimum government safety standards, but some manufacturers do go “above and beyond” in safety testing.
· Beware of used car seats. If you take one, be sure you have the manual, that the seat is not expired, and that you know the seat’s history.
· Seats that have been in an accident need to be replaced.
· Keep harness straps at or below shoulders for a child who is rear-facing, and at or above shoulders for a child that is forward-facing.
· Many models only reinforce the top harness slots for forward-facing; if your child is forward-facing, please check your manual to ensure your harness is safe.
· Keep the chest clip at armpit level, not neck or tummy level.
· When installing your seat, be sure to use the correct seat belt paths or LATCH hooks for either rear- or forward-facing. Don’t use both LATCH and the seat belt.
· A 45 degree recline is recommended for newborns and young infants who are rear-facing. Older babies and toddlers can have less recline.
· When forward-facing, an upright position with no recline is safest.
· It is best not to dress your child in bulky outerwear in his/her car seat. To check if a coat is too bulky, place your child in his/her seat with the coat on and adjust the harness to fit. Then remove your child’s coat and fasten the harness without adjusting. If the harness straps are too loose, the coat is too bulky.
· All models now feature tethers for forward-facing to reduce head excursion in a crash. They should be used whenever possible.
· A few models also feature rear-facing tethers designed to prevent rebound in a crash.
· Car seats do expire! It should be stamped into the plastic of the seat itself. Most seats are only good for 6 years after the date of manufacture.
· Have your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Combination / 3-in-1 Seats
· A 3 in 1 means it rear-faces, forward-faces, and then is used as a booster. A combination seat is a forward-facing harnessed seat that turns into a booster.
· Keep your child harnessed to the top weight limit (usually 40 pounds, but sometimes 65). Check your manual for the weight limit on your seat’s harness.
· When the child is 40 pounds (or the top weight limit for your seat’s internal harness—check your manual) or their shoulders are above the top harness slots, remove the internal harness and use the seat as a booster with the lap and shoulder belt.
· In some combo / 3-in-1 seats, the top harness slots are for adjusting the headrest, and are not designed to be used with the harness. Check your manual, and if the manual is unclear, call the manufacturer to ask if the top slots can be used with the harness.
· Have your seat checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Boosters
· A child is held in place much better with a 5 point harness than with a booster. If your child will try to move around, fiddle with the seat belt, or falls asleep in the car frequently, consider keeping him/her in a harnessed seat.
· It is not recommended to put a child in a booster who is not at least 4 years old and 40 pounds.
· The shoulder belt should be across the center of the chest, not the neck—use the shoulder belt guide if it doesn’t fit properly.
· The lap belt should be high on the thighs or low on the hips, not over the tummy.
· Use a high back model if your car has low seat backs with no headrests. Some high back models also provide side-impact protection.
· A backless model is fine if your vehicle has headrests, or if there is plenty of growing room from the tops of your child’s ears to the top of the seat back.
· Younger children often don't fit with a backless. They're good for older children who are too tall or who literally just need a boost, but most young kids need the belt guide as well. Also, backless boosters provide no side impact protection.
· Many kids need to ride in a booster until the ages of 8-10 and the height of 4’9”. To tell if your child is ready to ride without a booster, ask these 5 questions:
1. Does the child sit back all the way against the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and the arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
If you have answered “no” to even one of these questions, your child is safest in a booster seat.
· The back seat is the safest place for children under the age of 15.
Source
(2007). Car-Safetly.Org Vehicle and Carseat Safety Information. Retrieved January 16,
2007 from Car-Safety,Org Web Site: http://www.car-safety.org