Episode 24: Safe Rides for YOUR Children

Car seats and boosters provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1-13.
Road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the United States.
Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.
More than half of car seats are not used or installed correctly.
325 children under 5 saved by car seats in one year
42% of children killed in car crashes in 2020 were unrestrained

Rear-facing car seat: The best seat for your young child to use. It has a harness and, in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child's fragile neck and spinal cord.
Forward-Facing: Has a harness and tether that limits your child's forward movement during a crash.
Booster: Raises and positions a child so the vehicle’s lap-and-shoulder belt fits properly over the stronger points of a child’s body, the hips and across the chest.
Seatbelt: Should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain your child safely in a crash. It should not rest on the stomach area or across the neck or face.

There are many car seat choices on the market. Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size, then choose a seat that fits in your vehicle, and use it every time.
Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s instructions (check height and weight limits) and read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat using the seat belt or lower anchors and a tether, if available.
To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.
Keep your child in the back seat at least through age 12.

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats:
Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing.
Convertible and all-in-one car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether.

We previously talked about keeping your child rear-facing for as long as possible to keep them safe. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations on the car seat to determine when the height, weight, or age requirements for a forward-facing seat.

Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat with a harness, it’s time to travel in a booster seat, but still in the back seat.

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Remember: your child should still ride in the back seat because it’s safer there.

You may not know the history of your car seat. This may be the case when it has been provided as a hand-me-down from a family member or friend, purchased off of Facebook marketplace or from a garage sale. Knowing the history of your car seat and if it has been involved in any accidents is important because of manufacturer testing. The car seat manufacturer cannot guarantee that the seat will still function safely after it has been involved in an accident.
If the car seat is second-hand, you also may not have the manual or it may be missing labels which contain important information about the height, weight, and age restrictions as well as details for installation. If this is the case, you may have to look up the manual online.

Car seats may be recalled for various reasons, including parts that have been found to easily break or come loose and can pose as choking hazards for children. To know if your car seat is involved in a recall, identify the manufacturing name, model name and date of manufacture and look at the recall list on the National Highway Traffic Safety (NHTSA) website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats)
You can also register your car seat online or by mail to be included in notifications about recalls associated with your car seat

Yes, car seats do expire! The expiration date is the last day that the manufacturer can guarantee the function and safety of the car seat.
You can find the expiration date on the manufacturer’s label on the underside or the side of the car seat, or it may be embossed into the shell.
If your car seat is expired, it will need to be replaced. Before disposing of your expired car seat, you must cut and remove the harness straps to ensure it cannot be used by someone else.
If you are unsure of where to find this information, a local Child Passenger Safety Technician can assist you.

Call to action: If you have a car seat or know someone with one, locate the manufacturer’s information and make sure you know the expiration date.