The single most important thing you can do to protect your children is to buckle them up properly, every time. It works: from 1975 through 2002, an estimated 6,567 child lives were saved by the use of safety seats or adult belts.
Child safety seats, when correctly installed and used, reduce the risk of death by up to 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for children ages 1 to 4. They also reduce the need for hospitalization by 69 percent for children ages 4 and under. But finding the right seat can be confusing. It’s important to use a seat that is appropriate for your child’s age and size, and that fits properly in your vehicle. Here are some guidelines that can help:
· Check out the Safe Kids Worldwide child safety seat locator to find the right seat for your child.
· All children ages 12 and under should ride in the back seat.
· Infants should be in rear-facing child safety seats until at least 20 pounds and at least 1 year old. Never put a rear-facing infant or convertible safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger air bag.
· Children over 1 year old and between 20 and 40 pounds can be in forward-facing child safety seats, or in rear-facing convertible seats if the child has not reached the maximum rear-facing weight.
· Children ages 4 to 8 (about 40 to 80 pounds) should be in a booster seat and restrained with lap and shoulder belts every time they ride. Adult safety belts alone do not adequately protect children this size from injury in a crash.
· Usually, children over 80 pounds and 8 years old can fit correctly in lap/shoulder belts. When the child is sitting all the way back against the vehicle seat, the lap belt should fit across the child’s hips, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should cross the center of the shoulder. Do not let your children put shoulder belts under their arms or behind their backs. This could result in serious injuries.
· Read your child safety seat instruction manual and vehicle owner’s manual carefully for proper installation. The seat should be locked tightly against the vehicle seat – it should not move more than 1 inch forward or side to side.
· Like other consumer products, child safety seats are occasionally recalled. Send in your child safety seat registration card to be sure you’ll be notified. You can also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Auto Safety Hotline, (888) 327-4236, or check this Web site for updated product recall information.
· Replace any child safety seat that has been involved in a crash.
The Safe Kids Buckle Up program offers child safety seat checks in communities across the country. Certified child safety seat technicians help with proper seat installation and fit. Use the tool on this page to find a child safety seat check in your community.
Source: Safe Kids USA
