Safety and Children: Top 5 Child Seat Mistakes
Safety is a top priority for your child. Here are the top five mistakes parents make when installing child seats.
america today
Did you know that winter coats can be harmful to small children in car seats?
Winter coats can pose a safety risk for car seats. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, thick coats can prevent a harness from properly fitting a child.
NHTSA recommends removing the outer layer to reduce the risk of the harness coming loose.
Instead, children should wear a “lightweight fleece layer” under the harness, and parents should “place a blanket or coat around the child after securing the harness snugly for additional warmth,” NHTSA said.
NHTSA says the harness is “sufficiently snug when excess material cannot be tucked into the shoulders.”
Size and position of car seats and booster seats are important
Car seats and booster seats are intended to “protect” children and infants in the event of an accident, but car crashes remain the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13, according to NHTSA.
According to NHTSA, 43% of children killed in car crashes in 2023 were not properly restrained.
“Whenever you transport a child in a vehicle, it is important to select the appropriate seat and use it correctly,” NHTSA said.
NHTSA states that rear-facing child seats are “the best seats for use by young children.”
The seat is harness-activated, and in the event of a crash, the rear-facing car seat “cradles and transports” the infant, “reducing stress on the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord,” NHTSA said.
NHTSA recommends keeping children in rear-facing child seats “for as long as possible,” and NHTSA is aimed at children ages 1 to 3.
“This is the best way to protect patient safety,” NHTSA said. “Children should remain in a rear-facing child restraint until they reach the height or weight limits allowed by the child restraint manufacturer.”
Forward-facing child seat recommended
NHTSA recommends moving from rear-facing child seats to forward-facing child seats.
Made with a guard around the headrest similar to an airplane seat, the L-shaped forward-facing child seat works with a tether and harness over the child’s shoulders.
Recommended for children ages 4 to 7, children should remain in a forward-facing car seat until they reach the weight or height limit allowed by the car seat brand.
NHTSA said children ages 8 to 12 should be seated in booster seats.
Booster seats intended to support a child at the height of the seat belt must ensure that the belt fits properly over the upper thighs and lies snugly against the shoulders and chest.
