Parents trying to keep their children safe in vehicles and comply with the law may still have difficulty finding the best way to protect their children. The fact is that three out of four children in car safety seats are not properly secured, or not noticed at all.
In many cases, parents are confused about how to install a car seat correctly, didn't know that every car seat does not fit every car, or did not know their vehicle was equipped with a Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children system.
Quoted by Otodiva.com from thecarconnection.com, Here are some tips for child car seat safety that every parent can use. Come on, let's see!
According to Parents Central, website created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), There are four basic points to remember about child car seat safety, among them namely:
1. Seat selection
Choose a car seat that is appropriate for your child's age and size, that suits your vehicle, and use it every time you bring a child.
2. Proper installation
Don't try to guess. Look at the car seat manufacturer's specific instructions on how to properly install a child car seat. Read your vehicle's manual on how to install a car seat using a seat belt or LATCH system. Also check the height and weight limits for your particular car seat to make sure your child is within those limits, that way children can be safe when using it.
3. Use the car seat as long as possible
Maximize your child's safety by using a car seat for as long as possible, as long as the child meets the height and weight requirements of the car seat manufacturer in a safe condition.
Besides that, Safety experts say parents should keep children in the back seat of a vehicle at least until age 12 year. Use the following safety guidelines for proper use of car seats based on age, among them namely:
Birth to 12 moon – All children under the age of one must always sit in a rear-facing child car seat. Special baby car seats can only be used facing rearward. Convertible and 3-in-1 car seats usually have higher height and weight limits, meaning parents can use it to keep their child rear-facing for longer periods of time. Rear-facing car seats have seat belts. If an accident occurs, move with your child to reduce pressure on the neck and fragile areas of the spinal cord.
1 until 3 year – The best way to keep your child safe is to use a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible. Use until the child reaches the highest height or weight limit permitted by the car seat manufacturer. When the child has passed the rear-facing car seat, it's time to switch to a forward-facing car seat with a seat belt. Forward-facing car seats have harnesses and tethers to limit a child's forward movement in the event of a crash.
4 until 7 year – The child must remain in a forward-facing car seat with a seat belt until beyond the car seat manufacturer's limits for height and weight. When the child has outgrown this car seat, child is ready to move into a car booster seat, but it still has to be positioned in the back seat of the vehicle. A booster seat positions the seat belt to fit the stronger part of the child's body.
8 until 12 year – Use a booster seat for your child until the child is old enough. Fasten the seat belt correctly. The belt should fit the child's shoulders and chest as well as the child's thighs. Even when the child is old enough to use a seat belt, make sure to put the child in the back seat to be safer.
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