With so much information out there, deciphering the state laws, car seat manufacturer guidelines , and recommendations from organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP or the National Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA is no easy task, but it can make all the difference if you are ever involved in a car accident.
According to the NHTSA, car accidents are the leading cause of death in children 2 to 14 years old, in large part due to the non-use or improper use of child safety seats and seat belts. In fact, a NHTSA review conducted in found that half of all children age 7 and younger killed in motor vehicle crashes were not in any type of child safety restraint. All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands have laws in place for infants and children requiring proper child safety seats.
Since laws regarding the child's height, weight, and age vary by state, be sure to use the map above to find laws applying to your state. Except for Florida and South Dakota, all US states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico require children who do not properly fit into adult seat belts to ride in booster seats or other appropriate safety seats.
Texas requires them on buses purchased after September You can learn more about school bus safety on our School Bus Safety Infographic. Visit our main car seat safety page to get information about manufacturer height and weight restrictions, guidelines from health and safety organizations, and additional resources including a car seat check station locator and car seat safety app for your smartphone.
Our Firm Our Firm. Each year, thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. Proper use of car safety seats helps keep children safe. But, because so many different seats are on the market, many parents find this overwhelming. If you are expectant parents, consider working with a certified passenger safety technician CPST or CPS technician , before your baby is born, to ensure a safe ride home from the hospital.
Here is more information from the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP about choosing the most appropriate car safety seat for your child. This chart is a quick guide on where to start your search. It's important to continue your research to learn about each seat you use. All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing seat until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer.
Most convertible seats have limits that will allow children to ride rear facing for 2 years or more. Many seats can accommodate children up to 65 pounds or more. All children whose weight or height exceeds the forward-facing limit for their car safety seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are 8 to 12 years of age.
All children younger than 13 years should ride in the back seat. When children are old enough and large enough for the vehicle seat belt to fit them correctly, they should always use lap and shoulder seat belts for the best protection. LATCH is an attachment system for car safety seats. Lower anchors can be used instead of the seat belt to install the seat, and many parents find them easier to use in some cars.
The top tether should always be used with a forward-facing seat, whether you use the seat belt or lower anchors to secure it. The seat belt and LATCH systems are equally safe, so caregivers should use one or the other, whichever works best for them, for their car safety seat, and their vehicle.
In general, caergivers should only use 1 of the 2 options unless the car safety seat and vehicle manufacturers say it is OK to use 2 systems at the same time. Vehicles with the LATCH system have lower anchors located in the back seat, where the seat cushions meet. All forward-facing car safety seats have tethers or tether connectors that fasten to these anchors.
See vehicle owner's manual for highest weight of child allowed to use top tether. All lower anchors are rated for a maximum weight of 65 pounds total weight includes car safety seat and child.
Parents should check the car safety seat manufacturer's recommendations for maximum weight a child can be to use lower anchors. New car safety seats have the maximum weight printed on their label. NOTE: Seat belts— If you install a car safety seat by using your vehicle's seat belt, you must make sure the seat belt locks to hold the seat tightly. In most newer cars, you can lock the seat belt by pulling it all the way out and then allowing it to retract to keep the seat belt tight around the car safety seat.
In addition, many car safety seats have built-in lock-offs so you can lock the belt without having to lock the seat belt separately as well. Refer to the vehicle owner's manual for details about how your seat belt locks. Middle of the back seat— The safest place to ride for all children younger than 13 years is the back seat. If possible, it may be best for the child to ride in the middle of the back seat.
However, it is sometimes difficult to install a car safety seat tightly in the middle if the vehicle seat is narrow or uneven. Also, many vehicles do not have lower anchors for the middle seating position. It is safest to put the car safety seat in a position where you can install it tightly with either the lower anchor system or the seat belt; in some cases, this position may be on either side of the back seat rather than in the middle.
A child passenger safety technician CPST or CPS technician can help you decide which place is best to install your child's car safety seat in your vehicle. The AAP recommends that all infants ride rear facing starting with their first ride home from the hospital.
All infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing seat as long as possible until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer. When infants outgrow their rear-facing—only seat, a convertible seat installed rear facing is needed. Three types of rear-facing seats are available: rear-facing—only , convertible, and all-in-one.
When children reach the highest weight or length allowed by the manufacturer of their rear-facing—only seat, they should continue to ride rear facing in a convertible or all-in-one seat. Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat. Very small babies who can sit safely in a semi-reclined position usually fit better in rear-facing—only seats. Babies born preterm should be screened while still in the hospital to make sure they can sit safely in a semi-reclined position.
Babies who need to lie flat during travel may be able to ride in a car bed that meets Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard They should be screened again while in the hospital to make sure they can lie safely in the car bed. Any child who has outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for her convertible seat should use a forward- facing seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by her car safety seat manufacturer.
It is best for children to ride in a seat with a harness as long as possible, at least to 4 years of age. If your child outgrows a seat before reaching 4 years of age, consider using a seat with a harness approved for higher weights and heights. It is important that the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle and that the harness fits your child snugly.
Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing seats. Most children will not fit in most vehicle seat belts without a booster until 10 to 12 years of age.
Instructions that come with your car safety seat will tell you the height and weight limits for the seat. As a general guideline, a child has outgrown a forward-facing seat when any of the following situations is true:.
High-back and backless are 2 standard types of booster seats. They do not come with a harness but are used with lap and shoulder seat belts in your vehicle, the same way an adult rides. Most booster seats are not secured to the vehicle seat with the seat belt or lower anchors and tether but simply rest on the vehicle seat and are held in place once the seat belt is fastened over a child.
However, some models of booster seats can be secured to the vehicle seat and kept in place by using the lower anchors and tether along with lap and shoulder belts. Currently, only a few vehicle manufacturers offer integrated booster seats. Booster seats often have a plastic clip or guide to correctly position vehicle lap and shoulder belts. See the booster seat instruction manual for directions on how to use the clip or guide. Booster seats must be used with lap and shoulder belts.
When using a booster seat, make sure:. If your booster seat has lower anchors or tether attachments, check its manual for installation instructions. If your car has only lap belts, use a forward-facing seat that has a harness and higher weight limits. You could also. Seat belts are made for adults. After outgrowing the rear-facing car seat, use a forward-facing car seat until at least age 5.
When children outgrow their rear-facing car seats, they should be buckled in a forward-facing car seat with a harness, in the back seat. They should stay in the forward-facing car seat until they reach the maximum weight or height limit of this seat. After outgrowing the forward-facing car seat, use a booster seat until the seat belt fits properly. When children outgrow their forward-facing car seat, they should be buckled in a belt-positioning booster seat with a seat belt, in the back seat, until the seat belt fits properly without a booster seat.
This typically does not occur until children are age 9— When the seat belt fits properly without a booster seat, use a seat belt on every trip.
Children no longer need to use a booster seat when the seat belt fits them properly. Proper seat belt fit typically does not occur until children are age 9— Seat belt fit can vary by vehicle so check fit in all vehicles to make sure the child no longer needs to use a booster seat. It could be that a child might need a booster seat in one vehicle but not another. The onus is on you, the user, to ensure that you have downloaded the most up-to-date version of a consumer health information handout.
The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne. Safety: Child car seats. Safety: Child car seats In Australia, car and other transport crashes are the single biggest cause of death of children under 15 years of age. Which car restraint is best for my child? Restraints should be regularly checked and adjusted as your child grows. Make sure your child is buckled in properly, using the correct seat-belt or harness type for their size, even if it is only a short trip.
When to change restraints Moving your child too early to the next restraint type increases their risk of serious injury or death in the event of a car crash. Moving to a forward-facing restraint Babies are safest in a rear-facing restraint, and would only be expected to outgrow these restraints when they are two to three years old.
Age Australian laws RCH recommendation Under 6 months Rear-facing only Rear-facing only Six months to four years Rear- or forward-facing with harness Rear-facing for a long as possible. Age Australian laws RCH recommendation Four to seven years Forward-facing with inbuilt harness or booster seat Forward-facing with inbuilt harness for as long as possible. Does the seat-belt sit across the middle of their shoulder not on the neck or out near the arm?
Is the lap belt sitting low across the hips, touching the thighs? Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip? Moving into the front seat It is recommended children sit in the back seat until they are older than 12 years as it is safer and offers more protection to passengers than the front seat.
Look before you lock Anyone can accidentally leave their child in the car, especially when tired, stressed, distracted or there is a change in routine. Ensure your child always travels in the right size restraint for their height. Ensure your child is always correctly restrained in their car seat, even if it is only a short trip. Children need to be at least cm and pass the 5-step safety test before travelling in an adult seat.
Always look to make sure all children are out before locking up and leaving the car.
0コメント