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Buckle Up with Car Seat Safety
Tip #3: Understand How to Use Rear-facing Child Safety Seats; Tip #4:
Understand How to Use Forward-facing Child Safety Seats; Tip #5: If You Need
a Locking Clip; Tip #6: Make Sure the Safety Belt Locks Every Time
Tip #3: Check the lower weight limit of your safety seat to make sure your infant weighs enough to ride safely. Some seats are for infants weighing at least seven pounds. Infants in the rear-facing position should ride semi-reclined (half-way back or 45 degrees from the horizontal position). If your safety seat is too upright and your infant's head flops forward, yo may put a tightly rolled towel under the front edge of the safety seat to tilt it back to a 45-degree angle. Do not recline it too far. To keep your infant from flying out of his seat in a crash, the safety seat harness straps should be pulled snugly. Make sure you follow the manufacturers’ instructions for tightness. Most manufacturers recommend no more than one or two finger widths between the harness strap and your baby’s chest. Keep the chest clip at armpit level to hold the harness straps on your child’s shoulders. Never put thick padding under or behind your child. It will compress on impact, leaving the harness slack and possibly allowing ejection. Blankets may be put over the harness straps after fastening to keep your child warm. After fastening the harness straps, rolled towels may be used along a baby’s side and head to keep him comfortable. A rolled washcloth may be needed between the legs. Tip #4: Once your child is 1 year old and 20 pounds, he should use a forward-facing child safety seat. Use the upright position when the seat is facing forward. Harness straps should come through a slot above your child’s shoulders. Most seats require use of the top-most slots for the forward-facing position. The top slots are reinforced to prevent the harness from failing in a crash. Check your safety seat instructions. Keep the chest clip at armpit level to hold the harness straps on your child’s shoulders. The safety seat harness straps need to be pulled snugly. Make sure you follow the manufacturers’ instructions for tightness. Most manufacturers recommend no more than one or two finger widths between the harness strap and your child’s chest. Keep your child in a forward-facing position safety seat until he has outgrown the weight and height limits — usually about 40 pounds or 40 inches (check your safety seat manual for specific instructions). When your child’s shoulders are above the top harness slots, move him to a booster seat that helps safety belts fit properly. Tip # 5: Locking clips come with some child safety seats. If you do not have a locking clip, buy one from a baby supply store or order one from the safety seat manufacturer. To use a locking clip properly, follow the directions in your manual carefully. Check your vehicle owner’s manual to determine if a locking clip is needed. Tip # 6: Some safety belts lock only in a crash. This protects adults, but your child’s safety seat needs to be locked in place all the time. To check for a tight fit, hold the safety seat where the safety belt goes through it. Try to move the seat from side to side. If the safety seat slides forward or sideways more than one inch, your child may not be protected in a crash. To safely secure the seat with a lap/shoulder belt, you may need to use the locking clip provided with your child safety seat. Some safety belts require a special heavy-duty locking clip, belt-shortening clip or tether strap that can be provided by your car dealership. Or your vehicle may have built-in mechanisms to secure the safety seat. Check your vehicle owner’s manual to determine what you need to secure your child’s safety seat. NEVER place a child’s safety seat in a front passenger seat when both lap and shoulder belts are attached to the door.
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