There are a number of factors to take into account when deciding if your child is finally ready to use a standard car restraint. All approved infant vehicle restraints must be labeled with details that include the approximate age, height and weight suitable for that specific brand and style. Purchasing a seat which does not have these details is unwise.

It is important to understand how vital it is to correctly install and use a car seat.

It's also important to know why an child's car restraint is necessary. Because of their size and the infancy of their bone structure, children are susceptible to cutting injuries from regular car seatbelts. Belts are built to suit adult passengers and can cut low against the waste of a child and high against the shoulders.

In an accident a seatbelt that is high against the shoulders can compress the neck or tear the ligaments beneath the arm. A seatbelt riding low against the waist can cut into the cavity causing massive internal injury to organs or shatter the pelvis. Children can also slip above, below, or between the restraints and be thrown from their seats if not correctly protected.

Infant seats and boosters are specifically designed to fit smaller bodies with the kind of protection that offers optimal safety for families. A new born baby should be placed in a reclined backward-facing restraint as this protects the child from glass fragments, supports the fragile neck and back as muscles develop and cocoons the infant.

As the child gets older they progress to a forward-facing upright seat with five-point restraint. The five points anchor the child around the shoulders, waste and across the pelvis to balance the impact weight on hard-breaking incidents. At a normal growth rate a child can usually progress to a booster seat at about four years of age and then to a regular car seat at around six years.

Height and weight can vary and it's important that the child is suited to whichever child seat they use. A child that is heavier than the recommended weight for their child seat can sustain severe injury if there is an accident. The whole seat may be significantly damaged, increasing the risk of the child being thrown within the vehicle. A child progressed too quickly may not have the neck support to withstand whiplash. You may also find the belts are significantly loose around the child.

Correct seating for a child while traveling is an important safety factor. While we all hope to avoid an accident we should always prepare and protect our children when possible. If you have followed the directions you will significantly reduce the risks to your child and perhaps save their life.

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