Modern automobiles come equipped with air bags and advanced onboard crash computers to protect occupants during a crash. But, it is important for children to be secured with properly sized child safety seats to afford them the best level of protection in the event of a collision. All 50 states mandate that children under the age of 4 be secured in car safety seats whenever riding in privately owned vehicles. The state of Kentucky requires the use of a child car safety seat for all children less than 40 inches tall, regardless of age.
There are many types of child car safety seats available to parents, each with options designed to properly fit each stage of a child’s growth. While many brands and models offer a variety of comfort features and washable fabrics, parents should ensure that whichever model they select meets certain age and size-specific safety guidelines.
The 4 Primary Types of Child Safety Seats
Keeping your child safe with the correctly sized child car safety seat begins with selecting the appropriate seat configuration for your child’s heat and weight. The back seat is statistically the safest place for all children, particularly those under the age of 12. Use child safety seats in the back seat at all times unless your vehicle does not have a back seat (i.e. two-seat sports cars or regular cab pickup trucks). The four bullets below identify the recommended progression of child car seat types along with each corresponding age group:
- Rear-Facing Safety Car Seat (Birth to 12 mos.): Babies under 12 months should always ride in rear-facing safety seats. “Infant-only” seats can only be used as rear-facing and some can also be detached from the base, doubling as portable hand-carry baby seats. 3-in-1 convertible seats offer more longevity and also have higher height/weight limits for the rear facing position – the safest position for babies and toddlers.
- Forward Facing Safety Car Seat (1 to 3 yrs.): Your child should be kept rear-facing for as long as sizing guidelines will allow, until the maximum height/weight are exceeded. Once the child has grown beyond rear-facing limits, switch to a forward-facing seat with a harness. Convertible (3-in-1) seats can be reconfigured to now face forward.
- Booster Seat (4 to 7 yrs.): Again, your child should remain in the last stage (forward facing seat) until the manufacturer’s maximum height or weight limit is exceeded. Next, move to a seat specifically designated as a child “booster seat”. Most booster seats allow the seat belt to be secured in front of the child (as opposed to car seats which use a separate harness).
- Seat Belt (8 to 12 yrs.): Use your child’s booster seat until they are big enough to be properly fitted with a seat belt on their own. Proper fit means that the lap belt lies naturally and snugly across the child’s upper thighs, not across the abdomen. The shoulder belt should fit comfortably across the shoulder (collarbone is ok) and chest and should not cross the neck or touch the face. Never allow the child to tuck the shoulder strap behind them.
Tips to Optimize Child Safety in the Car
- Always read the child safety seat’s manufacturer instructions AND your vehicle’s owner manual on how to properly install a child car seat. If your car is equipped with the LATCH system, it should be explained in the owner’s manual.
- The LATCH system offers the safest method of securing a child seat. If the LATCH system is not equipped (older cars), follow the instructions on properly securing the child seat using the rear seat belt.
- Keep your child in each safety seat as long as possible based on his/her growth; do not progress to the next seat-stage until manufacturer’s height and weight requirements are exceeded.
- The back seat is still the safest place for a child. Children should ride in the back seat through at least age 12.
References:
NHTSA – Car Seats and Booster Seats
Baby Center – Your complete guide to car seats: What you need and when
