There’s been a lot of talk about car seats lately, thanks to the now infamous (and retracted) Consumer Reports article on infant car seats. But regardless of how Consumer Reports tests car seats, there are several things parents need to know about making sure their child is riding safely.
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First, your child MUST ride in an appropriate car seat. This means EVERY trip. I don’t care if it’s a 5 minute ride to the store – you MUST buckle them in. MUST, MUST, MUST!
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Car seat laws vary by state. You can find your state’s child restraint laws here. Remember, these are the MINIMUM requirements.
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Do not buy a car seat used, as you cannot verify the accident history of the seat. Seats that have been in an accident are unsafe to use. In most cases, the damage to the seat will not be visible to the naked eye.
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Do not use a seat that is more than 6 years old. This varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but most recommend not using a seat older than 5 or 6 years. Why? After 5 or 6 years, the plastic in the seat and the material in the harness can begin to break down. This is not something you will be able to see with your eyes. But trust me, you don’t want to find out your seat is no longer safe in the middle of an accident. All seats are stamped with a date of manufacture. 6 years after this date, it’s time to throw the seat away (and make sure you destroy it – smash it with a sledge hammer, cut off the straps or write “DO NOT USE” in permanent marker – so that someone doesn’t unknowingly use an unsafe seat).
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READ YOUR SEAT’S MANUAL. Cover to cover. Not only will you learn how to use your seat, you’ll learn how to install it, the weight and height limits, and how long it’s good for.
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GET YOUR SEAT INSPECTED. You can find an inspection station near you here. I don’t care if you have a PhD in engineering, if you’re not a car seat tech, you need to get your seat inspected. Even if you installed it right, it’s worth the time and the piece of mind to get the seat checked. Besides, chances are you didn’t do it right. 70% of car seats are not installed correctly or used incorrectly.
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Children under one year of age AND 20 lbs MUST ride rear-facing. If your child is 15 months old, but only weighs 17 lbs, they still have to ride rear-facing. If your child is 22 lbs, but only 11 months old, they still have to ride rear-facing. Why is rear-facing so important? Imagine what happens when you yank an electrical cord out of the socket by the cord. The same thing can happen to your infant’s underdeveloped spine during a forward facing accident.
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Once your child reaches both age and weight requirements to forward face, it’s still safer to leave them rear-facing. Much safer! Your child can safely (and comfortably!) rear-face until they reach the rear-facing limits of the seat (most convertible seats have a rear-facing weight limit of ~30 lbs. For height, there is no absolute number, since some children are longer in torso than legs and vice versa. For most seats, your child has reached the rear-facing height limit when the top of his head reaches the top of the seat).
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Once your child is ready to forward face, it’s safest to leave them in a 5 point harness as long as possible! Most car seats allow use of a 5 point harness until 40 lbs, but there are several that allow a child to use a 5 point harness until 65 or 80 lbs. The MINIMUM for booster use is 4 years old and 40 lbs, but the longer a child is harness, the safer they are. In order to safely ride in a booster, your child must be able to sit straight up, without slouching. They must not play with the belt, or lean forward, or fall asleep, and they must stay in their seat – for the ENTIRE ride. Some 4 year olds are mature enough to do this, but most are not. 5 or 6 or older is a more realistic age for being able to ride in a booster safely.
Yes, car seats are expensive. Yes, you’re going to have to buy more than one over the life of your child. Yes, it can all be a little overwhelming when you start out. But isn’t it worth it to make sure your child is properly protected?
Have more questions about car seat use? Ask away!
Emschwar
