by Thriving Mama

Created on: August 22, 2009

Parents strive to keep their children as safe as possible, but one of the areas where children, especially infants, face a lurking danger is in their car seats. All too often, small oversights can have devastating results. Uninformed purchasing, Poor installation, inadequate strap adjustments and unsafe clothing choices are the four culprits that all too often sneak between an infant safe transportation.

Purchasing a car seat is an investment in a child's safety. There is a myriad of websites available with information on choosing the right car seat for your child, however, with a few facts at the ready, you can narrow your choices down quickly. First, you need to know how long your state of residence requires a child to be in a car seat. This will help you determine what type of seat your want to invest in. Infants must be in rear facing car seats until they are one year old. Specially designed infant carrier car seats and rear-facing convertible car seats fit this requirement. The convertible car seat can then be turned to face forward and accommodate a child until they reach the stated safety requirements for height or weight. Many states also require booster seats until a child reaches a certain age or weight. When purchasing a car seat, it is important to get one that is designed for the child's size. A seat that is too large or too small will put the child in danger.

Once you've purchased, or been gifted, a car seat it would be nice to just strap it into the car and be ready to go. However, a bit more time and energy is necessary to have an infant's car seat road ready. First, read through the manual for the car seat as well as the owner's manual for the car. Consider recommendations for where the seat should be placed. The safest place for a car seat is where it can be installed correctly and securely. Even though the car and seat have a LATCH system, this may not be the safest way to install your car seat if securing the car seat with a seat belt gives you a more secure installation.

Once you've gotten the car-seat in, it's time to put the child into the car seat. Making sure the child is safely secured is the next step in a safe ride. First make sure that the straps are securely around the child's arms and over his or her thighs. Fasten the belt. Most car seats also have a chest clip: make sure this is fastened. As a general rule, two adult fingers should fit snugly between the child's shoulder and the strap. If the straps are looser than this, they need to be tightened. Double check that the belts are clipped and you are ready to go.

Winter clothing, such as bulky coats and snow suits, has come under recent scrutiny for decreasing the effectiveness of car seat safety. Puffy jackets get in the way of tightening the straps sufficiently. As a test, put the jacket in question on the child and adjust the car-seat straps so that the child is securely placed in the car seat. Without adjusting the straps, remove the child form the car-seat, remove the jacket and then put the child back in the car seat. If you can place more than two fingers between the child's shoulder and the strap, the coat is too bulky. Choose warm, thinner materials, like wool and polar fleece when purchasing children's jackets. Buntings that are designed to have the harness straps threaded through them should also be avoided according to Child Passenger Safety Technicians. Instead choose a car seat cover that goes over the top of a carrier.

Take the time to research your purchase, to know your car and car seat and to safely fasten your child into the seat before every ride. By taking these precautions, a child will be considerably safer in the unfortunate event of an accident.

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