Car Seat Safety Tips By the experts at Safety 1st & Giveaway!!
Did you know Sept. 14-20 is Child Passenger Safety Week, with September 20th being National Seat Check Saturday? Car crashes are a leading cause of death for children 1 to 13 years old, and often times deaths and injuries can be prevented by proper use of child restraints and seat belts. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the goal of Child Passenger Safety week is to make sure all parents and caregivers are properly securing children (ages 0-12) in the best car restraint (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster, seat belt) for age and size.
Safety 1st wanted me to share with you guys some important safety tips…
Importance of Rear Facing
In March of 2011 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their car seat recommendations advising that children should remain rear facing until the age of two. According to a study in the Journal of Injury Preventionchildren under the age of two are 75% less likely to die or be severely injured in the event of a car crash if they are rear facing. When a child is rear facing their head, neck and spine are better supported and in the event of an accident, crash forces are distributed over the child’s entire body.
Location
Typically the center rear seat is the safest place for a car seat, and never install a car seat in the front seat. If your car does not have a latch connector for the middle seat, you can use the middle seat belt to properly secure the base. When installing, make sure the base of the car seat moves no more than an inch from side to side. An easy way to test this is to hold at the belt path.
Car Seat Expiration
Car seats do have an expiration date, it is recommended that car seats be replaced every 5-8 years, or immediately after a crash. The reason for an expiration date is because plastic can warp and materials can fray, which can make car seats not as effective in the event of a crash. Additionally car seat technology and state and federal car seat regulations change over time. Important warning labels may wear out and instruction books may get lost, which can lead to improper use of the car seat.
Safeguard the Car
Childproof the inside of the car and eliminate projectiles. Anything in the car that is not secured is a possible projectile – even a child’s toy, or a water bottle. In a crash, objects take on greater weight due to crash forces.
Are you looking for more appropriate seats for your little one. Check out these Child Safety Seats by Safety 1st :
- onBoard 35 Air +Infant Car Seat
Air Protect + combines the advanced protection of the Air Protect® cushion system with patented GCell HX™ foam designed with hexagonal shapes for superior protection around the torso. TOGETHER they provide full body side impact protection.
- Advanced SE 65 Air +Convertible Car Seat
For children from 5-65 pounds. In addition to Air Protect +, the Advance 65 Air + uses a steel-reinforced metal frame for extra stability and includes a 4-position recline for an optimal fit to your vehicle. We’ve also included color-coded belt paths and installation labels to help you install it quickly and correctly.
- Summit® Booster Car Seat
Forward-facing: 22-40 pounds with Belt-positioning at 40-100 pound. Fully loaded with ease-of-use features that parents will appreciate: Like the 4-position QuickFit™ headrest which adjusts without the need for rethreading and a 5-point safety harness with Center Front Adjust.
- Incognito Kid Positioning Seat
A new category for car seats. The goal for Safety 1st is to help educate parents that any child under 4’9” (57”) in height should still be in a belt positioning seat. The Incognito blends into the car and prevents slouching to ensure comfortable and proper positioning of the seat belt. The introduction of this seat has helped to extending child restraints to accommodate children 60 to 120 lbs. and up to 60 inches.
Not sure if you need a new one? Click here to find a car seat check near you!! AND…
Enter to #win your own Summit Booster seat!! Open to US. Ends 10/3!
Good Luck!!
I would keep this for my daughter.
This would be for my grandson.
i want this for my niece.
This would be such a blessing for my baby boy number 3…coming unplanned after twin funds are definitely tight for him
would be for my nephew
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MY DAUGHTER. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE NEEDS!
This would be for my son.
My daughter
This would be for my son 🙂
This sure would be for us to use for our Grand-son. We have to now switch the seats back and forth between my daughter and us whenever we want to take our grand-son with us (which is quite often)
This would be for my daughter.
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My niece!!!!
I need this for my grandchildren, I babysit them 3 days a week!!! Thanks for the chance!
It would be for a friend
this would be used for my grandson thanks for this great chance best of luck to everyone
This would be for my mother, who has 6 grandchildren that need to use a car seat (ages 15 months through age 5). Would be nice to have something that could be used for the age range.
I want to win for my beautiful 6 month old granddaughter who has outgrown her first car seat..
I would want this for either of our boys.
This would be for my daughter.
I would give this to my cousin who is expecting.
This is so cute! I would love to win it for my daughter, Emily!
This carseat would be for my daughter 🙂
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This would be for our new baby arriving just after Christmas sometime 🙂
This would be for my niece
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hopefully me soon 🙂 If not, I have plenty of friends who would love this!
It would be for my granddaughter.
This would be for my daughter.
I would love for my granddaughter
It would be for my son. 🙂
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This would be for my oldest who needs an upgrade in the car seat department!
This would be for my nephew
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This would be for my daughter to be!
This would be for my Grandson for when I take him.
I would love to win this for my grandchild
This would be for the daughter who recently turned a year old 🙂
I’m due in Nov. I will keep this.
If I won, this would be for my daughter. She will be needing a booster soon. Thanks for the chance!
This would be for my daughter
this would be for my daughter. it would be so amzing to win
It would be for my granddaughter
This would be for my good friend’s son!
This would be for my six year old son!
This would be for my oldest grandson.
This would be for my youngest son, he would be thrilled.
My good friend.
Very nice. My baby girl is outgrowing her infant seat. Thanks for the tips and opportunity!
Thanks so much for sharing these tips! Very helpful!