Car Accidents And Car Seats
If you are in a car accident, the safest course of action is to replace the car seat or booster seat. Even if your kid wasnt in the car but the car seat was. Car accidents involve crashes and crashes reduce the integrity of the car seat. Yes, car seats are expensive but your babys safety is worth a new seat in the event of an accident. Having said that, the NHTSA only recommend replacing seats in moderate to severe accidents. They provide some criteria for determining the whether the accident was moderate to severe. They say it doesnt have to be replaced if all of the following apply:
- Your vehicle was drive-able after the crash
- Airbags did not deploy
Car Seat Expiration: Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a car seat base good for?
Most car seat bases are good for six years from their manufacturing date.
Why do car seats expire after 5 years?
Most car seats expire after six years because of wear and tear but also because safety regulations and new technology developments might render older models less safe to use.
How do I dispose of an expired car seat?
You should first render the seat unusable by cutting its straps. You can then try to exchange it for a discount from a retailer or dispose of it at a recycling center near you.
Do insurances replace a car seat after an accident?
Most insurance companies will replace your car seat if it was involved in an accident. You should check with your insurance policy and contact your insurer if you are unsure about your particular situation. In any case, a car seat that was involved in an accident shouldnt be used again.
Is it illegal to use an expired car seat?
Depending on where you live, it might be illegal to use an expired car seat. While the law doesnt explicitly prohibit the use of an expired car seat, some states to have proper use clauses making it mandatory to respect safety standards.
Can I Use A Rearward Facing Child Car Seat On The Front Passenger Seat With An Airbag
Infant carriers from Group 0/0+ must be fastened in a rearward facing direction. These seats should not be used in conjunction with an airbag on the passenger seat. The same applies to our Group 0+/1 and Group 1/2 products such as FIRST CLASS PLUS, MAX-FIX II, DUALFIX when in rearward facing mode, MAX-WAY and MULTI-TECH II however for MAX-FIX II and DUALFIX, they can only be used in cars that also have ISOFIX connection on the front seat. Please refer to your car seat and vehicle instruction manuals.
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Selecting The Right Car Seat
The AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age two, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat. To begin, parents will consider their childs age and weight these factors will indicate which seat style is safest for protecting the child.
- Infant: Infant car seats are used for babies from birth to up to 35 pounds . Infant seats are rear-facing and typically include a handle allowing the carrier to click in and out of the installed car seat base.
- Convertible: Convertible car seats are used for babies and toddlers up to 50 pounds . Convertible seats can be used for an extended time period as they convert from rear- to front-facing once the child has met recommended age/weight limits.
- Booster: Belt-positioning booster seats are used for children who exceed the height/weight limits for their forward-facing car seats. Boosters can be backless or high back and are typically used until children reach about 4 feet 9 inches .
Child passenger safety laws vary by state. Parents should be aware of laws in their state and can visit the IIHS List of State Laws for Vehicle Restraints.
Examine vehicle bench space: When selecting a car seat, parents will want to examine the bench space in their vehicle, taking careful notice of both type of seat belt and the amount of space. For vehicles with little room in the back seat, a car seat with a narrower base might be a better option.
Why Do Britax Marathon 70 Car Seats Expire
When you shop for groceries, you likely pay close attention to the expiration dates on perishable items. This makes sense, as feeding your family expired produce or other foods can make your loved ones sick. Expiration dates on car seats work in much the same way. Seat manufacturers use them to keep your children safe on the road.
Unlike food, which tends to rot after its expiration date passes, expired car seats often look perfectly fine. Nonetheless, car seats can degrade over time. Since child restraints often live in parked cars, they experience extreme temperature swings. Hot and cold temperatures break down plastics and other materials found throughout your Marathon 70 car seat. While you may not notice any degradation, the seat may no longer be safe after its expiration date.
Safeguarding against degradation isnt the only purpose of car seat expiration dates. As you likely know, safety standards change all the time. As technologies advance, older car seats may not be as safe as newer models. By assigning an expiration date to its Marathon 70 car seat, Britax ensures parents upgrade to modern seats periodically. This allows parents and children to benefit from new safety features.
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Checking Your Child Car Seat:
Please always follow the user guide of the car seat and car for the installation of the child car seat.
1) When your child is sitting in the child car seat, make sure that the vehicle seatbelt runs smoothly and securely through the upper belt guide and lower belt guide.
2 ) It is important that the vehicle seatbelt fits snugly and consistently against the body of the child so that it keeps the child and child safety seat securely in place. Always make sure the seatbelt is properly fastened and ensure that it is not twisted.
3) Once the child has been seated, ask your child to lean forward and then back in the child car seat. Should you notice that the vehicle seatbelt does not retract fully and there is a slack in the seatbelt, please try the following:
Dont Buy Second Hand Car Seats
Safety experts recommend that you avoid secondhand car seats altogether. You can never be totally sure that it hasnt been involved in an accident, even when buying from family or friends.
Its not that youd be intentionally misled, just that some bumps and crunches can be forgotten easily enough, but still affect the car seat.
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Car Seat Materials Wearing Down
Car seats and their base often stay in the car throughout the day. In the summer, a car seat might be exposed to extreme heat while locked inside a car with the windows closed. In the winter, especially at night, a car seat might be exposed to extreme cold.
These changes in temperature, combined with regular usage, will over time damage the seat and its base. It might start with microfractures that arent visible to the naked eye but will shatter in case of an accident.
Just take a look at the crash test video of an expired car seat below to see what it means.
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When Do Car Seats Expire How Long Are Car Seats Good For
Most car seats expire six years after their manufacturing date. The exact validity period might vary a little bit by brand or model, so you should always check the expiry note on your seat and its base.
How can you check your car seat expiration date? In most cases, you will find a sticker underneath the seat with its expiry date. The same applies to the seat base. Just turn over the seat and you should find it on the back. Alternatively, some brands indicate the expiry date on the shell behind the cushion. Remove the seat cushion and check there if it isnt on the back.
If you are unable to find the expiration date of your seat, call its manufacturer and ask for help. You should never use a seat without confirming first that it is still safe for your child.
Helpful note
How Does A 5
A 5-point harness significantly decreases the forces a child experiences during a crash since the forces are diverted from the child along the harnessing to the five points of contact with the seat. When the child is decelerated by the harness, the cushioning occurs across a wide area and limits shoulder and hip movements, resulting in low stress to the spine and the forces being directed away from the parts of the body containing vital organs.
In case of a roll-over, side impact or an offset impact , the shoulder contact points and the crotch strap stop those risks and keep the child safely in the protecting seat shell.
In addition, the harness allows for adjustment to the childs body and therefore offers a good and customised fit.
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What Should You Do With Your Expired Car Seat
When a car seat expires, you should immediately stop using it. We recommend that you cut the straps to make sure that no one else risks putting their child at risk by using it after you.
Next, you can call the manufacturer or check online if there is a car seat trading program or a recycling company near you that could help you dispose of your expired car seat. Some companies might offer you a discount on a new car seat if you bring in an old one.
Alternatively, here is a list of recycling centers in the United States. You can call them before dropping by to make sure that they are able to take care of your expired seat.
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When Do Britax Car Seats Expire
Heres a helpful guide to car seat expiration dates for several different car seat brands: Britax: six years for infant car seats, nine years for booster seats Chicco: six years Cosco: six years Diono: eight years for car seat harnesses, 10 years for booster seats Evenflo: six years Evenflo Symphony: eight years Evenflo SafeMax: 10 years Graco: usually seven or 10 years, depending on the model
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What Are The Legal Standards For Car Seats
It is mandatory to use child car seats within the EU for all children up to the heights of 1.35m or 1.5m depending on the member state.
There are currently two legal standards in Europe:
ECE R129
i-Size .
ECE R44/04
To meet ECE R44/04 approval car seats are tested in frontal collisions at 50km/h and rear collisions at 30 km/h using crash test dummies and advanced measuring instruments designed to assess the levels of protection each seat offers. ECE R44/04 approved seats can all be identified by their orange approval label.
Plastics Degrade Over Time
Plastics do degrade over time and so may not perform as initially designed. And its due to this that car seats have service life recommendations.
Also, car seat laws change quite often, as there are continual advances in new safety technology, which is why its a good idea to upgrade to a newer car seat.
Its worth knowing there is no legal obligation for a car seat not to be used beyond any specific time period unless the laws change. Well certainly make sure you hear about it if it does!
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Do You Want To Use Your Seat As Part Of A Travel System
The facts:Only certain types of car seat, often called an infant carrier, can connect onto your pushchair. And all seats are not compatible with every brand or model of pushchair. If you choose the right combination then an infant carrier plus travel system can offer a flexible, cocooning way of transporting your small child on the road and pavement.
Your options:All Britax infant carriers are compatible with all of our travel systems and with many other leading brands of travel system.
Do Infant Car Seats Expire
Yes. Every single infant and toddler car seat has an expiration date. While the exact expiration date varies by manufacturer, it is usually six to seven years. And if the car seat has been involved in an accident, it shouldnt ever be used again.
Helpful note
We regularly reviewed the best infant car seats available from brands such as Graco, Britax, or Chicco. Whichever brand you choose, every car seat expires.
What about the car seat base? The same applies to the base that you use to attach the infant car seat in your car. For the reasons that we explain below, they also have an expiration date and shouldnt be used past that date.
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What Is The Expiration Date Of My Child Seat
Although Britax Römer child seats do not have an official expiration date as we use high-quality UV-stabilized material to prevent aging effects, we endorse the general advice of The European Nursery Products Confederation and suggest that these should be used as sensible guidelines. The count for the lifespan begins when the product is first used.
Are All Car Seat Bases The Same
Car seat bases are specific to the manufacturer, so they cant usually be used with any seat except the one they are designated for. Some brands have multiple seats that are very similar, and one base might work for seats in that same style, but double-check with the company first.
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Think About Your Lifestyle
Do you have a small car boot, or very little storage at home? Will you walk a lot on tough terrain? Do you plan on building your pushchair into your fitness regime? Will you be using public transport? These kind of questions can help you identify not just which pushchair may be right for you, but which accessories may make all the difference.
Do Car Seat Bases Expire
You know your infants car seat will expire someday, but what about the base it sits on? Car seats are a big investment, and as parents we try to save money wherever we can. Can you save the car seat base to use with a new seat in the future, or will it expire?
Car seat bases are often used with infant car seats and typically expire at the same time as the seat they are sold with. Car seat bases purchased separately should have an expiration date clearly listed on the product and both car seats and their bases should be replaced in the event of a moderate or severe car crash.
Lets take a look at why car seat bases expire and how to find out the expiration information for your specific brand.
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