Child Safety Seats

A child safety seat, "car seat", or a "child restraint system", is a restraint which is secured to the seat of an automobile equipped with safety harnesses to hold a child in the event of a crash.

One of the most important purchases that any parent can make their childs car seat. All countries should have laws regarding child passenger safety and in what manner a child must be restrained depending on their age and weight. It is important to note that these standards are often minimums and that for each graduation to the next kind of safety seat, there is a step down in the amount of protection a child has in a collision. There are many ways parents and caregivers can help to reduce the risk of injury and death to children who ride in vehicles. Car seats are one of the most important tools available to assist parents in this task.

Infant carriers
For young infants, the seat used is an infant carrier with typical weight recommendations of 5-20 lb. All infant seats made in the US can now be used to 22 lbs and 29 inches and the graco safe seat 1 can be used to 30 lbs and 32 inches. In the past most infant seats in the US went to 20 lbs and 26 inches. Infant carriers are often also called "Bucket Seats" as they resemble a bucket with a handle. These seats can be used with the base secured, or with the carrier strapped in alone; however, proper installation without a base is extremely difficult and is not recommended by certified child passenger safety technicians. Always refer to your seat's manufacturer's booklet for any questions about installation. Infant carriers are mounted rear-facing, and are designed to "cocoon" against the back of the vehicle seat in the event of a collision, with the impact being absorbed in the outer shell of the restraint. Rear-facing seats are deemed the safest and children must remain in this position until at they are least 1 year of age AND at least 20 lb. Infant carriers should be placed at a 45 degree angle, allowing appropriate neck and head support for the child. The harness straps should be threaded through the slots that are at or below the shoulder, coming up and over as they push down to restrain the child. As previously mentioned, most bucket seats accommodate children up to 20 or 22 lbs. (depending on the seat). However, many children outgrow this weight before reaching one year of age. Therefore, they must remain rear facing in another seat. NEVER put a rear-facing seat in front of an airbag.

Convertible seats
Convertible seats can be used throughout many stages. Many convertible seats will transition from a rear facing seat, to a forward facing seat, and some then can be used as a booster seat. Many convertible seats allow for 5-35 lb. rear-facing, allowing you to keep your child in the safer rear-facing position up to 35 pounds. Convertible safety seats can be installed either rear facing or forward facing. There is a large selection available to choose from and weight limits, height limits and extra features vary from seat to seat and by manufacturer. Seats with a 5-point harness is considered safer then one with an overhead shield Convertibles aren't considered the best choice for a newborn because the bottom harness slots are often above the shoulders on most newborns. If you want to use a convertible from birth choose a seat with low bottom harness slots. Rear facing weight limits range from 20lbs (9kg) to 35lbs depending on the manufacturer and country of origin. Forward facing limits range from 17.6lbs (8kg) to 65lbs depending on the seat model and the manufacturer and country of origin. All convertible seats in the USA have at least a 30lb rear facing weight limit, and some allow as much as 35 lbs. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP,) recommends that children remain rear-facing until they outgrow their convertible seat, regardless of how old they are. You should continue to leave your children rearfacing until they have either outgrown the weight limit for their seat, or the top of their head is within an inch of the top of the shell of the carseat.

Front facing restraints
After reaching one year of age AND 20 lb, children may travel in a forward facing seats. The reason your child MUST be one year of age and 20 lb is closely related to how the forward facing seat is designed to work. In the event of a collision, the harness straps retrain the child, and the impact of the crash is absorbed on the back and chest of the child. If the child is not 1 year old, however, they will not have the muscle and bone development to retain such force. It is significantly safer for younger children to remain rear facing until the convertible seat is outgrown, regardless of their age. Again, only one finger should fit between the harness straps and the collar bone. Straps should come from at or above your child's shoulders, which is the opposite of the rear-facing position. Forward facing seats must be in the upright position, secured tightly into your vehicle's seat. The seat must also be tethered BY LAW (in Canada). The purpose of the tether is to restrain the top portion of the Child Restraint, keeping it in place in the event of a collision. A tether should not run more than 30 degrees from the seat to the anchor. The location of the tether anchor is determined by the manufacturer of your vehicle, and you should NOT attempt to install it yourself as you do not know the pressure points of the vehicle. When installing a forward facing seat, do not be afraid to put your weight in it in order to get it secured tightly. Seats are meant to withstand the force of a collision, which is a lot more weight then we are placing on it with our knee(s). Ideally, the seat should not be able to move once it is installed properly and tethered tightly. By law (in Canada), children NEED to be restrained until they are 40 lb and 4 years old. After both requirements are met, they can move into a booster seat.

Booster seats Booster seats are recommended for children until they are big enough to properly fit a seat belt. Seat belts are engineered for adult males, thus being too big for small children. Children under the age of 4 and/or under 40 lbs should use a seat with a 5-point harness instead of a booster seat. Booster seats "boost" the child and allow the seat belt to sit firmly across the collar bone and chest, with the lap portion fitted to the hips. If the seat belt is not across the collar bone and the hips, it will ride across the neck and the stomach, causing internal damage in the event of a collision. The seat belt will tighten up and travel to a hard location to restrain its occupant. So if the seat belt is on the stomach, the sought hard location is the spine, resulting in internal damage as the seat belt slices through the organs to reach it. There are two main types of boosters high back (some of which have energy absorbing foam) and no back. When possible use a high back booster because they protect better in a side impact crash then no back boosters. Low back boosters are good for riding with grand-parents, friends, and are good for kids who are too tall for a high back booster but can only be used if the car has head support. People often make the mistake of claiming that children should be out of a booster at a certain age. As every vehicle is different, children will fit each seat a bit differently. Some children need a booster in one vehicle, but fit the seat in a different vehicle. It is all individual. The 5-Step Test to see if a child is ready to ride without a booster.
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
This can occur at any age, as some children still need a booster seat at 10 years+.

Aftermarket seat belt adjusters are not safe and can interfere with the way the lap and shoulder belt fit.

General child safety seat info All child restraints have an expiration date. Most seats expire 6 years from the date of manufacture, although this can vary by manufacturer. Always obey manufacturer's instructions, because if the seat does not protect your child when the need arises, the manufacturer will not be liable if you went against its recommendations. Like motorcycle helmets, child restraints are tested for use in just one crash event. This means that if the vehicle is compromised in any way (with or without the child in it), owners are strongly suggested to replace it. This is due to the uncertainty with how a compromised child restraint will perform in subsequent crashes. Child restraints are sometimes the subject of manufacturing recalls. (See the list maintained by the NHTSA for details). Recalls vary in severity; sometimes the manufacturer will send you an additional part for the seat, other times they will provide a new seat entirely. Always contact the manufacturer. The purchase of a used seat is not recommended. Due to the previous concerns discussed about expiry dates, crash testing, and recalls, it is often impossible to determine the history of the child restraint if it is purchased second hand. Children traveling by plane are safer in a child safety seat then in a parent's arms. The FAA and the AAP recommends that all children under 40 lbs use a child safety seat on a plane. Booster seats can't be used on airplanes because they don't have shoulder belts.

Seat placement For all children, the child safety seat is typically placed in the back seat. Not only is it safer (i.e. further away from a potential front impact), airbags in the front seat are too powerful for the relatively meager weight of a child, which can cause serious injury or death in the event of airbag deployment. All cars with front airbag have a warning that kids 12 and under shouldn't be in the front seat but new research says children should ride in the back until the age of 14.



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