Stay Safe in Your Car

Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death among children. Many of these deaths could be prevented with child safety seats -- and using them properly.

Child safety seats reduce the risk of death by about 70% for babies and 55% for toddlers ages 1 to 4. Yet half of the children under 5 who were killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2000 were riding unrestrained. Take every possible precaution to keep your child safe in your car.

• All children 12 and younger should ride in the back seat. That's the safest part of a car during a crash and keeps kids from being injured by airbags.
• Choose a child safety seat that is appropriate for each child's weight and age; never use one that is too big or too small:
  • Infant-only car seats should face the rear of the vehicle and recline at a 45-degree angle to keep baby's head from falling forward. These seats fit newborns best. They should be used for babies until they are 1 year old and weigh at least 20-22 pounds.
    
    Many infant car seats are detachable from the base, which remains in the vehicle. This allows the seat to double as an infant carrier as well.
    
    Make sure the harness clips are positioned across baby's chest at shoulder level, not the abdomen. Harness straps should be relatively straight without sagging or tw isting. Many infant-only car seats have an overhead shield -- a padded tray-like shield that swings down over the child.
  • Convertible seats are bigger and heavier than infant-only seats, can face the rear or the front, and can be used longer and for larger children -- especially if babies outgrow infant-only seats before they are 1. These seats should still recline and face the rear until babies are at least 1 and weight at least 20-22 pounds.
    
    Convertible seats can face forward for toddlers over 1 year old and who weigh more than 20-22 pounds. Some seats also have height limits before they can face forward; follow the manufacturer's instructions.
    
    Again, make sure the harness clips are position across baby's chest, not the abdomen. Harness straps should be relatively straight without sagging or twisting.
  • Booster seats face forward and should be used for children over 4' 9'' and who weigh more than 40 pounds. The seat and child are restrained by the vehicle's regular lap and shoulder seatbelt.
    
    Make sure the lap belt fits low and tight across the lap/upper thigh area and the shoulder belt fits snugly across the chest and shoulder (not under the neck) to avoid abdominal injuries.
  • A child may graduate to a vehicle's regular restraint system when he or she is between 8 and 12 years old or 4'9" ta ll. The lap belt should fit snugly and sit low over the upper thighs. Shoulder straps should fit snugly across the chest, not under the neck or behind the back.
• Make sure the safety seat is properly installed. Follow the manufacturer's directions and check the installation regularly. Local authorities often host car-seat inspections at firehouses and police stations. Take advantage of these when they occur.
• Never buy a used car seat.
• Absolutely never carry a child in your lap while you ride in a car or allow a child to ride unrestrained.
• If you use a blanket over your infant, never put it between the child and the harness straps, or underneath or behind the baby. Lay the blanket across the child after he or she is strapped in.
• Let your child play with only soft toys in the car. Hard toys can become dangerous projectiles in crashes.
• Adults should always use a seatbelt as well.

NOTE: Newer cars and newer car seats have a system called LATCH (lower anchors and tethers for children) that makes car seats easier to use. All vehicles and most child safety seats made after September 2002 come with LATCH, which uses built-in anchors rather than seatbelts for attaching car seats.

While there are numerous car safety seats on the market, there is no one that is the safest or the best. The best one for your child is one that fits his or her size and weight and can be installed correctly in your car. And remember a higher price doesn't necessarily mean better quality. A pricier model might just have added features that have nothing to do with safety.