Keep your child passengers safe by following these steps. Need more info? Watch car seat installation videos: https://bit.ly/3S8j3Gv
Want a free resource for expectant parents? Download and share this flyer about the importance of buckling up while pregnant: https://bit.ly/2XIMVTy
Rear-facing car seats are designed to support and protect the head, neck and torso of an infant and a young child in a crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends children under the age of 1 should always travel in rear-facing car seats, and continue doing so as long as possible until they reach the weight or height limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
If your child’s feet or legs reach the back of the vehicle seat before they reach the height limit of their car seat, don’t be concerned. Research by the American Academy of Pediatrics has shown children are not at an increased risk for leg injuries, and riding rear-facing provides the best protection from injuries to the brain, neck and spinal cord.
Want to know more? Rear-Facing Car Seats for Infants and Toddlers: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Rear-Facing-Car-Seats-for-Infants-Toddlers.aspx
Shopping online can be convenient, but it also can pose unexpected dangers for kids. Counterfeit or copycat car seats have been popping up more as caregivers are increasingly shopping online. Vendors sell these counterfeit car seats at a fraction of the regular retail price, and often they are made of substandard materials and fail to meet federal safety standards set to protect children when in a crash.
Be aware if:
- Stickers on the car seat are in a foreign language or have spelling or grammatical errors.
- The labels don’t have U.S. height and weight requirements for the seat (i.e. pounds and inches), a model number or manufacture date.
- The car seat doesn’t include a statement about compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards.
- The car seat does not come with a registration/recall card to be completed and mailed in with postage paid by the manufacturer.
- The price seems too good to be true.
If you have a counterfeit car seat:
Learn more about counterfeit car seats: https://www.saferidenews.com/resources/unsafe-products/
When checking the car seat harness for tightness, conduct the pinch test on top of the shoulder (not under). Tightening the harness to make it contact at the torso may never happen.
What drives this space is the child’s torso width but also where the buckle is placed relative to his/her body. If you try to make contact here, you probably will have a very upset child because he or she is in there too tight.
Car seats adjust to meet the needs of growing kids. Remember to regularly check and adjust your child’s car seat as he or she grows. Review your instruction manual for information on correct fit and seat adjustments.
Nothing warms your heart as much as the comfort that comes from knowing your child is buckled in safely while you travel. Unsure if your car seat is installed correctly? Get help. Find a Child Passenger Safety Technician near you and schedule a free car seat check appointment: https://bit.ly/373SIC5
#PopQuiz: Does your car seat have a snug fit? Do the “inch test” to find out. A properly installed car seat shouldn’t move more than one inch front to back or side to side when pulled at the seat belt path. Get more tips and resources in the Ultimate Car Seat Guide: http://www.ultimatecarseatguide.org
Don’t Get Tangled: It doesn’t take a superhero to get it right! If you have questions about harnessing your child, talk to a Child Passenger Safety Technician today! Find a Tech near you: https://cert.safekids.org/get-car-seat-checked
Don’t Chicken Out: All questions are great questions. Don’t hesitate to ask a Child Passenger Safety Technician your car seat questions today! Learn more about car seat safety and watch installation videos: https://www.cpsboard.org/car-seat-safety/
Are you responsible for transporting children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews and want to learn more about using car seats and boosters correctly? Take an hour and complete Car Seat Basics, a FREE e-learning: https://www.cpsboard.org/courses/car-seat-basics/
How strong are you? Not strong enough. You’d need 500 pounds of restraining force to hold onto a 20-pound child when a car traveling at 25 mph comes to a sudden stop. Use an appropriate car seat, every trip.
Have your car seat inspected and have one less thing to stress over. To find an inspection station near you, visit https://bit.ly/2xys3NS
Kids learn from our example. Make sure you teach them about safety from the very beginning by buckling up before every trip. DYK: 92% of children are restrained when the driver is. Only 68% of children are restrained when the driver is not buckled up.
Why not add another skill set and see how you can impact your community through child passenger safety? Become a nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technician: https://cert.safekids.org/become-tech
How do car seats and seat belts protect children? Here’s the scoop!
Remember this teaching aid that CPST-I Sue Emery invented to show kids—and caregivers—the benefits of boosters and proper belt fit? Sue would teach that the weight-x-speed force on a child’s tummy is like squeezing a Twinkie—the outer cake might stay whole, but the insides are never quite the same again. Effective!
Did you know many child passenger safety technicians can meet with you virtually to discuss car seat use and installation? To find a technician near you: https://bit.ly/3jfRvkt
Learn more about car seat safety at cpsboard.org/car-seat-safety
Stop with the excuses! Buckle up — every seat, every time. Seat belts save lives.
A sure-fire way to upset your kid? Change her car seat to FF before she reaches the max height/weight limits for RF.