Short and to the point? WDYT?

I'd like a very short and simple list of things that everyone should know about car seats. It needs to stay pretty short because the people aren't going to read that long. What do you think of this list? I tried to include the best links without having too many.


* Your carseat should be rear facing until baby is at least one year AND 20 lbs.
* Check your owners manual for when to switch from an infant seat to convertible, most infant have a weight limit of around 22 lbs (though some go higher) OR have a height requirement of 1 inch of space between baby's head and top of the hard shell of the seat. If your child outgrows the infant seat by weight or by height you will still need to rearface to one year of age in a convertible seat
* You can rearface longer than a year, some convertible seats RF to around 33 lbs. It is safest to leave baby rear-facing as long as possible. Here’s a video about extended rearfacing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psmUWg7QrC8
* Do not install your carseat with LATCH and the seat belt at the same time. Seats are not tested using both methods, this could be dangerous. Pick ONE method of installation only.
* The safest place to install the seat in your car is the one with the tightest fit. Seat should not move more than 1 inch in either direction when installed correctly
* All car seats have a an expiration date. Most are 6 years from the date of Manufacture (DOM). It is not safe to use a seat beyond that date because they do start to degrade. http://home.comcast.net/~dcbsr/test...Child_Facing_Forwards_ten_years_old_seat.mpeg
* Remember that the laws in place are really the MINIMUM guidelines, not the top.

A few other useful videos:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/stayrearfacing.aspx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G59s3PjcntQ&mode=related&search

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azgBhZfcqaQ

I'd add the AAP rear-facing to the limits of the seat. Some people really believe that peds know everything. Even i "use" the doctor as an excuse for extended breastfeeding..."Oh, his doctor recommends bf for as long as possible and the AAP recommends breastfeeding as londg as both desire:...blah blah blah!" It works for some. Good luck educating!

Remind them that the law is not written for the average paent - it's written for those who will only do what the law requires. We all know parents who only use seats because it's the law - those are the people the law is for.