Car Seats Boosters And Car Safety For Babies And Children
Is your childs car seat installed correctly? Several Safe Kids coalition affiliates provide free car seat education and inspection where a certified technician can help with hands-on instruction and installation. Find a car seat inspection station near you.
You can also contact a certified child passenger safety technician at .
Beware With Slings Bouncers Swings And Buggies Too
It isnt only car seats posing a small risk to sleeping children, according to the report.
In total, 47 deaths were recorded, with 31 occurring in car seats, 5 in slings, 4 each in swings and bouncers, and 3 in buggies.
These findings mirror an older study published in the British Medical Journal back in 2006.
That report warned parents against keeping babies in car seats unchecked, particularly when not travelling, following the deaths of 9 children. But of these, 8 children died while sleeping in a car seat at home and only one baby died while in a seat as the car was being driven.
Both reports have warned parents against using car seats, travel systems and any kind of sitting device as a general place for your baby to sleep.
The Lullaby Trust is aiming to release new guidelines for parents on how to use car seats. However, you can follow these car seat and safe sleep tips from the Trust and Dr Erich K Batra who led the recent research:
Car seats
- Car seats should not be used as sleeping areas outside of the vehicle
- Do not leave children unsupervised
- Never leave children in a car seat with unbuckled or partially buckled straps
- Car seats should never be placed on a soft or unstable surface
Bouncers and swings
Slings
- If slings are not used correctly or safely there’s a risk of your baby’s airway becoming compromised
- Your baby’s face should be visible and kissable at all times
- Always follow the ‘TICKS’ safety advice shown below when using a sling
General sleeping
What Is New York State Car Seat Law 2022
New York Legislature Laws Section 1229-C Subsection 1 read: all back seat passengers of such vehicle under the age of four are restrained in a specially designed seat that meets the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards all back seat passengers of such vehicle who are age four or older but under age eight are restrained in an appropriate child restraint system or are restrained in a lap safety belt or in the case of any other back seat passenger under the age of sixteen, he or she is restrained by a safety belt .
New York Regulations
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Texas Car Seat Laws Apply For
Drivers who ride with a child are responsible for keeping the child in an appropriate child restraint system.
Exceptions
operating a vehicle transporting passengers for hire, excluding third-party transport service providers when transporting clients pursuant to a contract to provide non-emergency Medicaid transportation or
transporting a child in a vehicle in which all seating positions equipped with child passenger safety seat systems or safety belts are occupied.
How Long Should The Car Seat Be Rear
In 2018, the AAP changed their guidelines about how long a child should stay rear-facing, recommending that children stay in a rear-facing seat as long as possible, until they reach the height weight or height allowed by their seat. The AAPs previous stance was that children remain rear-facing until age 2. The new recommendations advise parents to follow the car seat manufacturers instructions, which usually allow children to remain rear-facing to 40 pounds or more, which is generally after their 2nd birthday.
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When Do Car Seats Expire
Theres no universal answer to this, but well give it our best shot: Generally, car seats expire between 6 and 10 years after the date of manufacture. Manufacturers such as Britax and Graco publish this on their websites.
No, it doesnt suddenly become illegal to use a car seat at 10 years and 1 day after it was made, and there wont be a warrant out for your arrest. But we know that youd do anything to keep your sweet babe safe, and thats why its recommended that you replace your car seat once it expires.
Looking for information about when your specific car seat expires? The best place to check is the manufacturers website. Most brands have a page dedicated to safety information where they tell you how to find the expiration date.
For example:
- Graco shares that its products have expiration dates on the bottom or back of the seat.
- Britax tells users to find the date of manufacture by using the serial number and instruction manual and then provides expiration dates based on when different types of seats were made.
- Chicco provides an expiration date on the seat and the base.
- Baby Trend gives an expiration date for its car seats as 6 years post-manufacture. You can find the manufacture date on the underside of the car seat or the bottom of the base.
- Evenflo car seats have a date of manufacture label. Most models expire 6 years after this date, but the Symphony line lasts for 8 years.
When To Turn Your Babys Car Seat Around
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, all children should ride in a rear-facing seat as long as possiblespecifically until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat model. Again, there is no age limit its based on height and weight.
Most convertible seats have limits that will allow children to ride rear-facing for 2 years or more, says the organization. When infants outgrow their rear-facing-only seat, a convertible seat installed rear facing is needed.
Dr. Hoffman agrees with this recommendation. Our advice is you stay rear-facing as long as possible because of physicsuntil the seat says you need to turn around, he says. Theres no reason given the seats we have on the market now a child should ever have to be forward-facing before their second birthday. He adds: The basic principle for everything is you delay transitions as long as possible.
The good news is that because of the updated recommendations to keep children rear-facing for as long as possible, many car seat manufacturers offer options for extended rear-facing that will keep your child comfortable and safe.
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Changing Regulations And Standards
Transportation agencies, professional medical associations , and car seat manufacturers are constantly conducting and evaluating safety and crash tests. This is a good thing for parents everywhere.
Also, technology is forever evolving. This means that car seat safety stats can be improved with as new features, materials, or technologies are introduced.
Say you buy a car seat that is rear-facing and will hold your child up to a certain weight, but then the weight guidelines change for a rear-facing seat. It may not be the law that you have to replace your seat, but the manufacturer may discontinue it and stop making replacement parts not to mention, you no longer have the safest seat possible for your little one.
An expiration date may account for these changes and makes it less likely that youll have a seat thats not up to snuff.
How To Clean Your Luggage
Luggage gets dirty. It is in its nature. Luggage is also tough. A nearly impermeable carapace on wheels, it is designed to withstand the rigors, mishandling, and general debasement of this life as it travels through cargo holds and luggage sorting facilities. Dirty, tough, and a small object lesson of the sort of personal resilience we should all hope to foster in ourselves.
One of the perks of reviewing luggage for a living means I dont use a single bag often enough that it ever needs this kind of deep maintenance. But it seems true that I shouldat least occasionallytry to tidy things up. Courage, friends. Lets begin!
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What To Do With Your Old Car Seat
When your child gets too big for her car seat, you can give the seat to someone you know. Make sure the seat has all the original parts, labels, and instructions. If the seat was in a crash or is missing parts, throw it away!
When you throw away an expired or unsafe car seat, take it apart and put the pieces in separate dark trash bags to prevent someone else from using it.
Remember, car seats expire. You can find the expiration date on your car seat. Look for the date on a label or imprinted on the plastic.
What If Were In A Car Accident With Rear Impact
If your child is in a rear-facing car seat, they will still be sitting further away from the point of impact on a rear collision. When theres a car accident with rear impact, both cars are moving in the same direction which means forces are spread on both cars equally. Whereas in a frontal car accident, both cars are immediately stopped at their speed causing more force. Plus, theres a longer crumple zone at the back of your car, even if you have a small car and boot!
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When To Stop Using A Booster Seat
Step 1: Check the weight/height limitation of your seat
If your booster seat is approved to ECE R44-04, you have to stop using your seat once the maximum weight has been reached, which is 36 kg based on the regulation.If your booster seat is approved to UN R129, you have to stop using the seat once the maximum height has been reached, which is 150 cm based on the regulation.
Step 2: Check your national laws
Each country has different regulations in their national laws for how long a child must use a child car seat. In most countries, the minimum is 135 cm or the age of 12.
Step 3: Check how your child sits in the car without a child car seat
In addition to step 1 and 2, you can do the 5-point check to see if your childs body would be ready to sit in your car without a child car seat. If one of these 5 points is not reached yet, your child should still sit in a booster seat:
Car Seat Safety At Children’s Hospital Colorado
Motor vehicle crashes kill more kids than any other cause of death – and four out of five car seats are used incorrectly. Make sure you are following the current Colorado car seat law and the safest practices for your child. The best practice may differ from the law. Read our tips below to make sure your child is properly secured.
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Alabama Child Restraint Law
“Every person transporting a child in a motor vehicle operated on the roadways, streets, or highways of this state, shall provide for the protection of the child by properly using… a child passenger restraint system.” The term “motor vehicle” as used in this section shall include a passenger car, pickup truck, van , minivan, or sports utility vehicle. The fine for a citation is $25.00. The size-appropriate restraint system required for a child shall include all of the following types of child safety seats. Protect your children by changing each seat as they grow.
Fitting A Child Car Seat
You must only use a child car seat if your cars seat belt has a diagonal strap, unless the seat is either:
- specifically designed for use with a lap seat belt
- fitted using ISOFIX anchor points
You must also:
- deactivate any front airbags before fitting a rear-facing baby seat in a front seat
- not fit a child car seat in side-facing seats
The Child Car Seats website has information on how to choose a seat and travel safely with children in cars.
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Why Do Children Need A Car Seat
Safety requirements have come a long way since our parents were young.
While they may have been riding in the front seat back then, we now know a lot more about the dangers of that kind of behavior.
For starters, cars have gotten a lot faster over the years, which meant that our safety measures have had to increase to match.
We also possess a lot more knowledge about the catastrophic damage an impact can have on children and adults alike. The roads have gotten busier, and our cities have become more congested.
A correctly installed car seat does the same job as an adult seat belt in the fact that it can save a life. It can be the only thing to protect your child in a life or death situation.
A baby or a child will not be adequately secure just by using a seat belt, so it is essential to use a properly manufactured baby car seat.
Babies and children are more vulnerable than adults, too, particularly around the head, neck, and shoulder area. As such, they require additional support and padding.
It is of great importance to your childs safety that you do not drive around in a car without the correct equipment for his age.
In most, if not all developed countries, having a child seat is a legal requirement, as is wearing a seatbelt.
Unfortunately, however, car crashes are still one of the leading causes of injury and death for children in the US.
The Best Way To Protect Your Child
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , car accidents are a leading cause of death for children in the U.S. In 2019, more than 600 children age 12 and younger died in motor vehicle crashes, and more than 91,000 were injured.
However, the CDC also states that car seat use reduces the risk for injury in crashes by 71% to 82% for children, when compared with seat belt use alone.
The updated recommendations also say that once a car seat has been turned around, it should remain forward-facing until your child reaches the seats weight and length limits. Then, your child should start using a booster seat. Children who exceed booster seat limits should use a lap and shoulder seat belt in the back seat of the car until theyre 13 years old.
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Lower Anchor Weight Limits
Lower anchors have weight limits set by the vehicle and car seat manufacturers. You can determine the lower anchor weight limit by checking the warning label or installation diagrams located on the side of the car seat. If your car seat does not have a label, you can determine the maximum allowable child weight for lower anchor use by subtracting the weight of the car seat from 65 pounds.
Lower anchor weight limit = 65 lbs weight of car seat
Know the Facts
Once your child outgrows the vehicle or car seat manufacturers established limits for the lower anchors, stop using the lower anchor attachments and reinstall the car seat using the vehicles seat belt.
Adult Seat Belt: The 5 Step Test
A child no longer needs to use a car seat or booster when he can pass all steps in the 5 step test. This means:
Never let children put the shoulder belts behind them or under their arms. This could cause them to get hurt in a crash.
Adult seat belts should be fastened at all times when traveling.
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Can My Baby Sleep In The Car
Often babies fall asleep in the car which is fine for a short amount of time if they are supervised. However, car seats should only be for travelling and are not generally a safe sleep environment. The recommended sleeping position for young infants is flat on their back. You should ensure that your baby is taken out of the car seat as soon as you get to your destination and placed onto a firm, flat, waterproof mattress for the first six months minimum. This is either in a cot or Moses basket.
Booster Car Seat Laws By States
Booster seats until the child is six years of age.
Alabama Car Seat Laws Section 32-5-222
over four years of age but less than eight years of age who is less than 57 inches in height and weighs 20 or more pounds but less than 65 pounds shall be properly secured in a booster seat that is secured by a seat belt system or by another child passenger restraint system that meets or exceeds the standards of the United States Department of Transportation and is used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions
Alaska Car Seat Laws Sec. 28.05.095
Children who are 8 years of age OR have reached 49 in height may be secured by a booster seat, but at a minimum must be secured by a safety belt.
California Car Seat Laws Sec. 27363 /27360
Any person who transports a child under eight years of age, but not under five years of age, or weighing less than sixty pounds, but not less than forty pounds, in a motor vehicle on the highways of this state shall provide and require the child to ride rear-facing or forward-facing in a child restraint system equipped with a five-point harness or a booster seat secured by a seat safety belt .
Connecticut Car Seat Laws Sec. 14-100a
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