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Is your car seat installed correctly? Odds are it isn't.Feb 02 '07 (Updated Feb 03 '07) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Here are just some tips and recommendations I've picked up in the year or so since my son was born. I hope they are helpful!!!!
Let's face a fact here -- 80% of all car seats are installed or used incorrectly. These are lifesaving devices when used correctly but false senses of security when not. I've taken myself to the car seat inspections three times (once with my infant seat and twice with the convertible... once rear and once front) just to make sure my seats are in position and installed correctly for my car. Here are some pieces of advice (I do not use the LATCH connectors, so these tidbits are all for shoulder/lap belt installation): *Read your owner's manual multiple times before attempting installation. Make sure you remove and reinstall the seat several times before you put your child in. This is good to do at night when the child is sleeping, so you don't have to worry about spending 30 minutes fiddling around with the seat with an anxious baby crying. Keep the owner's manual handy and keep referring to it if you have questions. If you have questions the manual can't answer, contact the vehicle manufacturer or the car seat brand -- they can help you. *Technically, the safest spot for your car seat is the middle seat in the back. The second safest is the seat behind the driver. HOWEVER, the TRUE safest spot in your back seat is where ever the car seat fits the best!!!! *No matter which way you install your car seat (lap belt, latch, etc), your seat should not be able to move more than 1" in either direction when pushed. If it can move, it's installed incorrectly (not tight enough) and you'll need to try it again. *For shoulder/lap belt installation: Thread the straps through the appropriate slots and lock the seatbelt. Apply pressure to the seat and pull the shoulder strap as tight as you can. Use the locking clips provided and try to move the seat. If you can move it, redo the procedure until you can get a good fit. *In order to get a good fit with forward-facing convertible car seats, put your knee in the seat and apply pressure down and back while tightening the straps (pull as hard as you can). This will make the seat tighter than if you just pulled on the straps alone. You should also apply pressure when installing it rear-facing, but it's not as easy in this direction (you'll have to use more pressure to get the same results). *Make sure you use any locking clip or lockoff that your car seat comes with -- if you're not using it, your seat is installed incorrectly. I will say that there are some seatbelts that don't require the use of a locking clip with them... but (knowing me) I'd still use them (just so I didn't lose the locking clip). If you're in doubt, refer to the vehicle's owner's manual or speak to a certified car seat tech. If you transfer the car seat to a different car where you aren't SURE of their seatbelt type... use the locking clamp anyway. *When you are using a convertible seat in the forward-facing direction, make sure you use a tether for added safety (it prevents the seat from snapping forward). Install the car seat as tightly as you can and clip the tether to the anchors in the back of the car. Once clipped, pull on the tether strap to tighten any slack. Push on the seat, it shouldn't move. DO NOT USE THE TETHER IN REAR-FACING MODE UNLESS YOUR CAR SEAT IS DESIGNED FOR IT (ie: it's in the manual). *When installed rear-facing, make sure your car seat is angled at 45 degrees. If your seat doesn't have an angle adjuster, use towels or a pool noodle to fix it. *The child's harness straps need to be at, or a little above, their shoulders. Put your child in the seat and check where the harness straps come out... if it's below the top of their shoulders, it's time to move the harness straps up. This is for FORWARD-FACING CONVERTIBLE SEATS ONLY!!! If you have a rear-facing or an infant seat, it's the opposite (the harness slots should be at or below the shoulders). *The chest clip needs to be positioned (level) at their armpits. *The harness needs to be tight. If you can feel any slack in the harness, it simply isn't tight enough. You should only be able to fit one finger between the shoulder strap and the shoulder of your child. If you can pinch a fold in the harness, it's too loose. *Go see a car safety specialist to get your seat checked out!!!!! Last, but not least... some tips on BUYING a car seat: *DO NOT BUY A CAR SEAT SECOND HAND. Period. End of story. It's not ok, it's not alright. It's dangerous. *Do not use a car seat that has been in a car crash -- even if the seat looks ok, there could be pieces weakened or damaged inside the seat itself that would compromise safety. *The best car seat is one that fits your car the best and you can install correctly. *Car seats have an expiration. Do not use car seats over 6 years old. Other than that, here are some great links to sites that provide help in choosing the best car seat, installation recommendations, car seat/car compatibility and ratings: http://www.carseatsite.com (great site) http://www.car-safety.org/ (great site) http://www.carseatdata.org/ (car seat compatibility) http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/CSSRating/Index.cfm http://www.safekids.org/ -------------------------------------------------------- I sincerely hope that I've helped you with the information that I've discovered both by getting my car seats checked and browsing the internet. I will admit, that even I had a few things incorrect with my seat. Which ones were they? The chest clip wasn't at armpit level -- it was a little below... and the harness slots (forward-facing) were a little below the shoulders (I had kept them that way when I switched from rear- to forward-facing). While the seat itself was installed correctly, I wasn't using it to the best of my ability and thus would have fallen into the 80%. Scary thought, huh? Also, please remember that the best thing you can do for your child is to drive safely. Car seats throughout the world are only rated for around 35 to 38 mph collisions -- speeds that we regularly exceed on a daily basis. The same goes for airbags and automobiles in general. Nothing will save you from a 70 mph collision (except luck), so don't use the car seat as a justification for driving like a maniac because it's simply not fail-safe. In any case, I personally recommend two seats: The Britax Boulevard for convertible car seats... and... The Britax Companion for infant seats. Have a great day!!!! PS: I was reminded this morning (because we're visiting the grandparents) to make sure THEY know these things as well. While we may spend hours researching the best way to install a car seat, they probably have not. They don't understand the importance of tethers, locking clips or fitting the harness correctly. My mother-in-law (who is an educator) accepted a used car seat from a friend -- I had to politely inform her that no way in the world was she going to use it with my son. She really does think I'm overreacting -- heck, when she had her oldest child, there were no such things as car seats. My own father stubbornly refuses to actually read the car seat manual and install the car seat correctly -- I have to do it. His defense is that: well I drive safely enough, so it's not necessary. So I have to install the seat myself every time we visit. Grandparents are well-meaning, but they really don't understand the intricacies of car seats ... it's your job to inform them (ha!).  |
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