Keeping Your Child Safe in a Car Seat

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Last month I wrote about my journey from car seat safety novice to car seat safety aficionado. When my son was born, I assumed I was using his car seat correctly … but I wasn’t. When I learned my mistake, I vowed to learn everything I could about car seat safety, so I’d never again put my son at risk.

Here are some of my tips for parents on keeping your child as safe as possible in a car seat.

Choose and Use a Safe Seat

17 months old and still rear facing at over 98th percentile in height and weight.
My son, Remy, at 17 months old. He was still in a rear-facing seat at over 98th percentile in height and weight.

Don’t settle for the minimum requirements. Do your research and try to give your child the best protection possible. You don’t have to buy the most expensive car seat to make your child safe. There are many options for children of every age and size around $100 or less. All car seats go through the same safety tests, so a $50 seat is just as safe as a $500 seat! A properly used seat is always better than no seat or one30 being used incorrectly, though.

There are so many rules and guidelines to consider for using your child’s car seat. It seems like every year they change something (or at least I learn something new!)

Did you know that after-market products (products not included with the original seat or made by the same manufacturer), like those cute strap covers, baby inserts and head rests, strap-on toys, seat protectors and the like, will void your seat’s warranty? They may even hinder the seat from functioning properly in an accident, and they may also keep your insurance from paying for a replacement seat.

Unless the manufacturer of the car seat makes the product, and it says in your car seat owner’s manual that you can use them, DON’T USE THEM! Britax is just one of the companies that has done a great job of providing car seat accessories for their car seats that have been crash-tested with their car seats, so you know they are safe in an accident! A properly certified and up-to-date CPST (child passenger safety technician) should tell you not to use any after-market product (with the exception of a thin towel or pool noodle for proper angle, for those seats that allow it).

Did you know that you CANNOT use a seat belt and a LATCH system install at the same time? Yeah, we didn’t either! Car seats are not crash-tested using both and the two systems may interfere with each other’s function in case of an accident. Yeah, research, people!

Additionally, you should check your car seat’s manual and your car’s manual to find out the weight limits for your LATCH system. Each seat has its own weight limit, meaning how much your child can weigh while safely using your car seat. The weight limit for the LATCH system refers to when you can safely use the LATCH system to install your car seat instead of using the seat belt. The LATCH weight limit can refer to just your child’s weight or the weight of your child and the car seat combined. You need to check both your car seat’s manual and your car’s manual for more information. Once your child has outgrown the weight limit of the LATCH system, you must use the seat belt to install the seat.

Some seats require the use of a top tether when used rear-facing. A tether is more commonly required when forward facing. Check your carseat’s manual to find out when you should use your attached top tether. Your car will have designated anchor positions, and you can check your car’s manual to find out where they are.

Don’t rely on what your friend tells you or what is for sale at Babies R Us or Target for you to know if it is okay to use for your car seat. Call the manufacturer of your child’s car seat or ask a CPST if you are not sure about anything!

Getting Your Seat Checked

Are you now panicking, wondering if your seat is both installed correctly and being used correctly? Okay, calm down! There is help!

  • First, check out the links on this page and the chart below to make sure your child is using the correct type of seat.
child in carseat
Every time your child “sizes up” to a new car seat, check that it’s installed correctly.
  • Can’t make it to the next Safe Kids event? You should get your seat checked as soon as possible if you don’t know that it is both installed and being used correctly; and every time you buy a new seat or change the car seat’s function (for example: turn your convertible car seat from rear-facing to forward-facing). Search for a certified CPST at safekids.org. You can search for technicians who speak languages other than English or who are trained in special needs. There are CPSTs at almost every fire station, police station, and sheriff’s department in the Midlands area, and many of the law enforcement CPSTs will even come to your house to do a check! You may have to wait until a CPST comes on duty or finishes an arrest, but you won’t have to wait weeks to get your seat checked. Call ahead and make an appointment for your check.
  • Ask your CPST questions! Make sure the technician knows what he or she is doing before checking your seat! Not all CPSTs stay up-to-date, unfortunately, so it is possible they can tell you incorrect information or perform an unsafe installation themselves. Ask to see their certification and find out what to expect from a CPST at safekids.org or Car Seats for the Littles.
  • South Carolina has another program designed to keep kids safe in cars. Kohl’s Buckle Buddies was created by Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital, in partnership with the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, to “raise awareness about child passenger safety and to offer families educational information to help them keep their children safe.” They provide a toll-free hotline (1-877-RU-SC-BUDDY) for motorists to report vehicles transporting unrestrained children. The owner of the car then receives a letter and educational materials about child passenger safety from the South Carolina Highway Patrol. You can also sign up for one of the free monthly child passenger safety classes (another way to get your seat checked by a CPST), which will qualify you to purchase a discounted seat through the program.

Types of Car Seats At a Glance

This chart from healthychildren.org is a quick guide on where to start your search. Additional safety tips can be found there as well.

Age Group​ ​Type of Seat ​General Guidelines
​Infants/Toddlers ​Rear-facing only seats and rear-facing convertible seats ​All infants and toddlers should ride in a Rear-Facing Car Seat until they are at least 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat’s manufacturer.
​Toddlers/Preschoolers ​Convertible seats and forward-facing seats with harnesses Any child who has outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their convertible car seat should use a Forward-Facing Car Seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat manufacturer.​
​School-Aged Children ​Booster seats ​All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car 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 between 8 and 12 years of age.
​Older Children ​Seat belts ​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 optimal protection.All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.

I’m not a car seat expert, so my strongest recommendation is that you check your seat’s manual and talk to a CPST to find out how to use your seat correctly. There’s so much information out there, it’s easy to get confused. Go to the source to keep your child as safe as possible.

Do you have car seat safety tips to share? Talk about it in the comments.

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Lindsey Young
In 2011, as Lindsey Young was anxiously awaiting her transfer acceptance letter from the University of South Carolina, she unexpectedly found herself pregnant! It turns out God actually did have a plan, because the next year a perfect baby boy was born and a year after that, she and her baby daddy tied the knot! (Yes, we are aware we did things backward, but I wouldn’t change a thing about it!) Since then, her life has revolved around the tiny terrorist making demands and trying to balance life as a wife, mother, part-time college student, friend, short-order cook, maid, etc., with a husband that works nights. (Though she doesn’t always feel successful!) Lindsey is due to receive her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology from the University of South Carolina in May 2015. Traveling abroad the first time she went to college left her fascinated with other cultures and she is thrilled to get the chance to study the “Tribe of Motherhood” firsthand. She is also due to begin her training as a Birth Doula in October of 2014. Lindsey would like to be an advocate for women’s health education and natural birth options, though she has never had a natural birth herself. Next time though! Lindsey's husband is an Irmo, SC, native and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point for 5 years. Even though Cherry Point is only 30 minutes away from where Lindsey grew up in Morehead City, North Carolina, they met in Columbia, SC in 2010 while singing karaoke.

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