Buckle Up - Not Buckle Under

By: Vivienne Myatt..

Child safety is a top priority with parents, and this is reflected in the amount of time and money they are willing to spend on a car seat for their child. Yet according to a multi-year study done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 79.5 percent of all car safety seats for children were used incorrectly.

By failing to properly use the safety restraints, the study reports, many parents unknowingly put their child in peril. The most common mistakes found were loose harness straps and safety belt attachments. These mistakes, the ones that almost every parent makes and are the ones that the NHTSA report as being the most "critical".

Age, weight, and position of the seat are all factors that need to be strictly adhered to when picking a safety seat. Many parents put their child in rear-facing car seats, but this should only be done if the child is less than one year old and weighs less than twenty pounds. Always be 100% certain you have bought the correct safety seat for your child. Never let your baby "borrow" his big brothers or his older sisters car seat from when they were 1 year old or older. It can prove fatal..!

Convertible seats provide a good opportunity to get the most bang for your buck, because they fit infants and still allow the baby to grow. Growth of the child is accommodated through the heavier convertible car seat. Infants, who are placed in the convertible seats, if they are under 20 pounds and less than one year old, are placed facing the rear of the back seat. You can go ahead and place any child that is 20-40 pounds in a front-facing position.

It goes without saying, that the most important part of car safety dictates that you simply use the seat in the manner it was intended. Make sure to read the manufacturer's instructions, as well as your vehicle owner's manual. Remember to double check the buckle that straps in the car seat and the restraints that hold the baby in place.

Many parents are frustrated by harness straps, but they simply need to fit around the baby's chest tightly, yet snug, and into the right slot. If you have an infant-only car seat, make sure the straps go into slots below the baby's shoulders. For convertibles, the slots should go in above. Most harness clips that connect the harness straps - that should never be twisted - are designed for armpit height, but check your owner manual to be sure.

Also consult your owner's guide as you strap in the seat belt, making sure it goes through the right path, and tilt the seat back by 45 degrees. Some parents put a rolled up towel under the seat's base as well. Tighten the seat belt, as needed, to ensure the restraint is secured to your vehicle. For any car that has LATCH systems, the owner must take note of that and make sure their seat is installed the way their car seat guide and vehicle ownership guide detail. The seat should be in good condition, so if you purchase a used one, double check the label for age. For age, keep your seat under five years old, and never purchase any seat that does not include a set of full manufacturer's instructions. Know your seat's history, including whether or not it has been in any accidents, and make sure it has all its parts.

Article Source: http://www.yesparenting.com/articles

Read this alarming article by Vivienne Myatt and check if your child is in danger. Learn how you keep your child out of harms way. Also, see how subscribers to her newsletter save money every month. Her interests are shared by mums and moms everywhere.

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