With ever-changing car seat safety updates and growing kids, it can be hard to keep up with the best practices for safely transporting your family. There are certain facts and habits that can help your child arrive at their destination in comfort and security. Take a look below for our best ideas on traveling safely with your family.
Know the proper placement for a car seat
The safest place for a car seat is in the center of the backseat. Kids situated here in the center are less likely to be injured than those near windows. For families that have multiple car seats, it’s best to put one car seat in the center and the other next to it.
Know the proper time to update their car seat
Infants require a rear-facing car seat. A convertible seat with longer shells and slightly high rear-facing weight capacities will work well for transitioning kids from a rear-facing to a front-facing car seat. Depending on a child’s weight, the appropriate time to switch your child to a front-facing car seat is around age two. Recent studies have shown, however, that children under the age of 2 are nearly five times as likely to become seriously or even fatally-injured when in a front-facing seat.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends a rear-facing car seat, as it does a superior job of supporting a small child’s head and underdeveloped neck and spine. Rear-facing seats distribute the force of a collision over the entire body. Once your child reaches certain weight and height limits, a booster seat will be the best choice for transitioning out of car seats. Just ensure that you still use a harness and the proper safety restrictions. And remember that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that children ride in the back of a car until age thirteen.
Use car seat equipment appropriately
If your car employs a LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), use it to benefit the safety and security of your child. The LATCH system makes installation easier, tighter-fitting, and safer than it would be otherwise. Using the top tether of the car seat will especially limit the motion of the car seat and reduce your child’s risk of injury.
Clothing makes a difference. In the colder months, it’s important to understand the risk of putting your child into a car seat with a full jacket and outdoor winter clothing. Increasing the distance from your child’s body to the harness straps can make the safety and security of a car seat less effective.
For a safe journey, pick a car seat and a vehicle that will ensure best in security and safety for your family. To find the best car for your family, visit Kuehn Motors today.
