Child Safety Seat

Make sure all children are secured properly when you drive with them. They are almost always safer when riding in the back, in a car seat that is appropriate to their age and weight. Using a car seat correctly can prevent injuries, a small mistake in how the seat is used can cause serious injury in a crash.     

• Never put an infant in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag that is turned on.
• Route harness straps in lower slots at or below shoulder level.
• Keep harness straps snug and fasten the clip at armpit level.
• Make sure the straps lie flat and are not twisted.
• Dress your baby in clothes that allow the straps to go between the legs. Adjust the straps to allow for the thickness of your child’s clothes. Do not use bulky clothes that could increase slack in a crash.
• To keep your newborn from slouching, pad the sides of the seat and between the child’s legs with rolled up up diapers or receiving blankets.
• Put the car seat carrying handle down when in the car.
• Infants must ride in the back seat facing the rear of the car. This offers   the best protection for your infant’s neck.
• Recline the rear-facing seat at a 45-degree angle. If your child’s head   flops forward, the seat may not have reclined enough. Tilt the seat back until   it is level by wedging firm padding such as a rolled towel, under the front of   the base of the seat.
• All new car seats are now required to come equipped with top tether straps. A tether strap is a belt that is attached to the car seat and bolted to the window ledge or the floor of the car. They give extra protection and keep the car seat from being thrown forward in a crash. Tether kits are also available for most older car seats. Check with the manufacturer to find out how to get a top tether for your seat. Install it according to instructions. The tether strap may help make some seats that are difficult to install fit more tightly.

Do not use a car seat if any of the following apply:

1. If made before January 1981, the seat may not meet current safety standards and and may not be safe. See manufacturers recommend years of use.
2. Be sure and check for any recalls of your make and model of child seat.
3. It has been in a crash it may have been damaged and should not be used, even if it looks all right.
4. Be sure and install the seat correctly, if someone else installed it, you need to verify it is correct. Remember it's your responsibility to keep kids in your vehicle safe at all times.
5. Get rid of any seat that has stress.

To find out if your child safety seat has been recalled, you can call the Auto Safety Hotline ( 888-DASH-2-DOT ). If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow the instructions for the recall or to get the necessary parts.

For more information about infant or toddler car seats, go to the Web site of the Insurance Institute for   Highway Safety. Also check out the National SafeKids Campaign which offers a free Child Car Seat Locator that allows you to enter your child’s age and weight, and get back a list of recommended car seats. 

Keep your child in a car seat for as long as possible. When he or she is big enough, make sure that seat belts in your car fit your child correctly. The shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder, not the neck or throat. The lap belt must be low and flat across the hips, not the stomach. The child’s knees should bend easily over the edge of the vehicle seat. Seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he or she should stay in a child seat until the belt fits properly.

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child’s arm or behind his or her back and use lap belts only as a last resort. Try to get a lap-shoulder belt installed in your car if it doesn’t already have one. If you must use a lap belt, make sure it is worn tight and low on the hips, not across the stomach.