My friend, Cindy, made a good point and I wanted to follow up on it. You don't need the most expensive carseats on the market to have a safe child. What you do need is for the carseat to fit the child, fit the car, be installed correctly every time, be used correctly every time (meaning the child buckled in correctly every time), and for the carseat to not be expired or have ever been in an accident.
People sometimes wonder why carseats expire and think that it's just a way to get consumers to spend more money. But that's not true. Carseats do, unfortunately, expire. The plastic ages, just like anything else. Those of you who've ever left children's play toys out in the yard all summer (or all winter) are probably familiar with how the plastic is not quite the same after.
Different carseats expire after different amounts of time, though, which is also a reason for different price tags. Most carseats expire after 6 years. Some are as few as 5, though. There are a few that are 7 (the Learning Curve True Fit), the Radian has an 8 year life span, and the Britax Frontier and Graco Nautilus both have longer life spans (can't remember how long off-hand....8 or 9 years).
There are carseats I would NEVER recommend getting....not because they're dangerous or anything, but because some are just known to have issues. Some have issues with getting a good fit in most cars and some have issues with kids being comfortable in them, and some have issues with being outgrown way too early because of low weight-limit or low top-harness-slots.
For instance, on my carseat board, the Graco Comfortsport is often referred to as the Crappysport. They make the CUTEST covers on these, they're not super-expensive, and you can buy them off WalMart's shelf, which I know entices parents to buy them. The problem is that they only rear-face up to 30 lbs (not good at all) and only forward face to 40 bls. (also not good). BUT most kids can't even make it to 40 lbs in them because their top harness slots are so low, a lot of kids outgrow them by age 3, if not before.
If you love Graco, go with the new My Ride. It rear-faces to 40 lbs and forward faces to 65 lbs. It's a MUCH better convertible carseat than the Comfortsport (although I like others even better).
Carseats are so easily used incorrectly. I'll explain how to correctly use them.
1) Pay attention....the FIRST thing you need to do is read the owner's manual for your carseat AND for your car. When cars have LATCH anchors, there are sometimes rules about where carseats need to be installed with the LATCH anchors. For example, in our old Honda Accord, there are 2 sets of LATCH. One in each outboard position. If you want to put a carseat in the middle position, you have to use the seatbelt. Honda doesn't allow "borrowing" of LATCH anchors. Also, most vehicle manufacturers have a weigh limit on the LATCH anchors. So if you have a 65 lb-limit forward-facing carseat, you may not be able to install it using the LATCH anchors if your child is over 40 lbs. You'd need to use the seatbelt.
2) Now they need to be installed in your car the correct way. Make sure the LATCH belt or seatbelt (whichever you use) is through the correct belt path. (For convertible carseats, there are 2 different belt paths.)
3) Then you do acrobatics getting the carseats in as tight as possible. If you have locking seatbelts, you pull them all the way out and then let them back in, all while pulling to make sure it's super-tight. Once installed, grip the seat near the belt path and pull side-to-side and front-to-back and make sure there's no more than 1 inch of movement. (The idea is to make it part of the car.) To get mine tight enough, I have to kneel on the carseat while tightening the seatbelt. For other types of seatbelts, there are different rules that I'm unfamiliar with since I don't have any other kind of seatbelt in my cars. (If you have different seatbelts, check your car manual and carseat manual for instructions. If you need help, contact a local carseat technician (CPST) who will teach you how to correctly install your carseats for free.)
If you're using a forward-facing carseat, attach the tether anchor (over the back of the seat) and tighten as much as possible. (Note: Make sure you get a good install BEFORE you attach and tighten the tether anchor.) If you're using a convertible carseat for a rear-facing child that allows for the tether anchor to be used rear-facing, go ahead and attach that now. (Only 2 companies currently allow this-- Britax and Sunshine Kids.)
4) Once the carseat is installed rock-solid, you can get your child in it securely. For rear-facing children, the harness needs to be at or below the child's shoulders. For forward-facing children, the harness needs to be at or above the child's shoulders. Always keep the straps as close to the child's shoulders as possible (ie. don't have the shoulder straps coming out 4 inches above the child's shoulders when there are harness slots closer to the child's shoulders).
Now buckle the child and tighten the harness. It needs to be tighter than most people think. If you can grasp the harness strap by the child's shoulder and pinch it together, it's too loose. Go here to see a picture guide.
The chest clip needs to be at armpit level, not down by their bellies.
Tada! Now you've got a great installation!
One note for rear-facing children. For newborns, the angle of the carseat should be 45 degrees from vertical. Sometimes to get this angle correct, you need to use a tightly rolled-up towel underneath the carseat. (Sunshine Kids doesn't allow for this, but trust me, you won't need it with their carseats.) Once the baby has better neck control, you can install the seat a bit more upright. Up to 30 degrees from vertical, but no less than that.
Now for a bunch of common no-nos:
-Don't use any after-market products. No woolly blankets that go behind the baby, no harness strap covers (that didn't come with the carseat), no belt tighteners like this one. (I know it's from the same company that makes the Radian, but DO NOT USE IT!) And no using those plastic seat-protector mats that go under the carseat. You can use a thin towel if you really feel the need.
So basically, if it didn't come with the seat, don't use it.
-Don't leave the straps twisted. If you have a carseat with twisted straps, take the time to untwist them every time. Basically if you leave them twisted, it's going to feel like a rope is holding your child back in an accident.....no fun for the kid.
-Don't leave your kids in big, fluffy coats in their carseats. The harness can't get tight enough and the coat WILL compress in an accident leaving your child in a loose harness. Here's a demonstration of how to safely let kids wear coats in the car. Or you can just keep blankets in the car and put those over them instead.
-Don't use LATCH and the seatbelt at the same time.
-Don't use infant carriers (the kind you can take out of the base and carry around when the baby is little) forward-facing. (Yes, some people do it.)
-Don't use a carseat once it's outgrown.
-Don't use a carseat once it's expired.
-Don't use a carseat that's been in an accident. Even a minor accident can make small stress fractures in the plastic that can't be seen. And then it won't be as safe if there are any future accidents. Most car insurance companies replace carseats after accidents.
-Don't buy a used carseat unless it's from someone you know (and trust) who can verify that it's never been in an accident.
I want to reiterate that you don't have to buy the most expensive seats out there. There are more and more good carseats available. They used to be few and far between. There are generally reasons for some carseats being more expensive, though. Like I said before, some will last longer (either the kids don't outgrow them as quickly or they have a longer lifespan), some are super-easy to install, some have more creature comforts, and some are just known for being user-friendly all around. But really, you don't have to break the bank to get your kids in safe seats.
Showing posts with label carseats. Show all posts
Showing posts with label carseats. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Should your child be in a booster?
I'm going to start out easy.....there's nothing too controversial about carseats, right?
Oh, how I wish that were true......
(Besides, I've been meaning to do this post for a while now.)
One of my future posts will be about vaccinations. And I often like comparing carseats to vaccinations. It never ceases to amaze me that people think I'm crazy for not vaccinating my child against Hepatitis at birth and then they turn around and put their "safe" (aka: vaccinated) kid into a car without being properly restrained. I love how people think of their cars as an extension of their living room that magically takes them places without the chance of any harm. Or they think putting their kid in just any carseat will do....after all, carseats are magic bubbles that keep kids safe no matter what, right?
The truth is, 4 out of 5 carseats are installed or used incorrectly. Luckily, they do still manage to save lives, even improperly used. AND YET-- CAR ACCIDENTS ARE STILL THE #1 KILLER OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14! What this means is that your child is more likely to die in a car accident than any other cause of death!
And still, some people are more worried about their child getting Hepatitis. Amazing.
I discussed the issue of extended rear-facing in a previous post. If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask. I do want to mention, though, that carseat companies are starting to get the clue. Sunshine Kids just came out with a new version of their carseat (the Radian XTSL) that can rear-face a child to 45 lbs (or until they outgrow it by height....whichever comes first)! I LOVE IT! (I know it's expensive, but it should go down in price over the next few months. Also, you can find coupons online.)
In this post we'll talk about extended harnessing and proper booster-use, since they kind of go hand-in-hand. It used to be that you could only find harnessed carseats that went up to 40 lbs. And then the next step was a booster. I found out about this when AJ hit 40 lbs. She was just under 4 years old and I couldn't stand the thought of putting her in a booster yet. She just didn't seem big enough to me. So that's when I started to do some researching and found 2 companies that made carseats with higher weight limits. Since then, most other carseat companies have gotten on-board with extended harnessing and started making seats with higher weight limits. It's great!
I want to mention really quickly about how harnessed carseats are outgrown. When a child is forward-facing, the carseat is outgrown when:
a) the child reaches the maximum weight limit
b)the child's shoulders are above the top harness slot (except on one particular carseat which allows the shoulders to go 1 inch above the top harness slot before being outgrown (the Radian))
c) the tops of the child's ears are level with the top of the seat
There are still a lot of carseats available right now that will be outgrown too early. With 40 lb. weight limit seats, most of the time the child outgrows it by weight first. With over 40 lb weigh limit seats, the child usually outgrows it by height before hitting the weight limit and they last much longer than 40-lb seats. There are a few seats that go up to 50 lbs. These may be a good option for you if your children are quite skinny. There are a number of others that go up to 65 lbs. These are great for average-size children. And there are a few that go up to 80 lbs. These are great for huskier children.
After learning about extended harnessing, I was able to keep AJ harnessed until she was almost 8. Unfortunately I had to also move Roo to a booster shortly after that, so he only made it to 6 1/2 in a harness.
There are a number of reasons why extended harnessing is safer. Most 4-5 year olds can't sit correctly in a booster seat for an entire car ride. In order for the seatbelt to do its job, the child needs to be sitting straight with their back against the booster the whole time. But for a lot of kids it's just too tempting to move out of place and fidget and squirm.
Also, it can be downright dangerous to put a small child in a booster. The booster isn't designed for a small child (even if the minimum weight limit on the booster says it is). What happens in an accident is the lap belt is pulled against their bellies and they can have terrible internal damage from that. They can "submarine" under the lapbelt and get terribly hurt that way. Here's a video about a little girl whose parents didn't know any better, but wish they would have.
So if you have a child who's outgrowing their 40-lb weight limit seat, consider getting another harnessed seat with a higher weight limit. There are some really good choices out there now, and there are a few that can be used as a booster once the child has outgrown the harness. (Note: I'm NOT talking about these or these carseats. Those are HORRIBLE in terms of booster-fit on children and usually have a 40 lb weight limit anyway. I'm talking about this one and this one.)
Before you put your child in a booster, read this and watch the videos linked in the thread.
When you decide your child is ready for a booster, please try to make sure the belts fit properly. Watch this for some guidelines.
The new guidelines for booster seats are that children need to be in a booster seat until age 12 or until they reach 4 ft 9 inches in height. But there's a better, more accurate way to know if your child is ready to be in a regular seatbelt. It's the 5-step test. (The only thing I disagree with in that link is that 4 year olds should be in boosters. It's rare that a 4 year old is big enough AND mature enough to be in a booster.) Keep in mind that your child may fit well in one car, but not in another. You may need to continue using a booster in one car and not another, depending on the fit of the seatbelt.
AJ will remain in a high-back booster until she outgrows them and then will be in a no-back booster until she's able to pass the 5-step test (as will the rest of my children). I prefer high-back boosters over no-back boosters because they:
1) provide more support for a wiggly child who might slip out of the belt in a no-back booster.
2) provide more support for sleeping children on long trips
3) provide much better side impact protection (Watch this. Now imagine that crash in a no-back booster.)
4) provide whiplash protection in vehicles with no headrests or built-in (low) headrests.
And one more video to show why booster seats are so important (even for "big" kids).
And one more to show why lap-only belts are dangerous. (Luckily most vehicles being made today have lap/shoulder belts in all positions. But if you have a lap-only belt in your car, consider installing a carseat there so that children/adults don't have to use it. (A harnessed carseat installed w/a lap-only belt is safe as long as it is a rear-facing carseat or if it is a forward-facing carseat used with a tether.))
And as always, I recommend getting your carseat installations checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) in your area. I can help you find one, or you can find one on this website.
Oh, how I wish that were true......
(Besides, I've been meaning to do this post for a while now.)
One of my future posts will be about vaccinations. And I often like comparing carseats to vaccinations. It never ceases to amaze me that people think I'm crazy for not vaccinating my child against Hepatitis at birth and then they turn around and put their "safe" (aka: vaccinated) kid into a car without being properly restrained. I love how people think of their cars as an extension of their living room that magically takes them places without the chance of any harm. Or they think putting their kid in just any carseat will do....after all, carseats are magic bubbles that keep kids safe no matter what, right?
The truth is, 4 out of 5 carseats are installed or used incorrectly. Luckily, they do still manage to save lives, even improperly used. AND YET-- CAR ACCIDENTS ARE STILL THE #1 KILLER OF CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14! What this means is that your child is more likely to die in a car accident than any other cause of death!
And still, some people are more worried about their child getting Hepatitis. Amazing.
I discussed the issue of extended rear-facing in a previous post. If anybody has any questions, feel free to ask. I do want to mention, though, that carseat companies are starting to get the clue. Sunshine Kids just came out with a new version of their carseat (the Radian XTSL) that can rear-face a child to 45 lbs (or until they outgrow it by height....whichever comes first)! I LOVE IT! (I know it's expensive, but it should go down in price over the next few months. Also, you can find coupons online.)
In this post we'll talk about extended harnessing and proper booster-use, since they kind of go hand-in-hand. It used to be that you could only find harnessed carseats that went up to 40 lbs. And then the next step was a booster. I found out about this when AJ hit 40 lbs. She was just under 4 years old and I couldn't stand the thought of putting her in a booster yet. She just didn't seem big enough to me. So that's when I started to do some researching and found 2 companies that made carseats with higher weight limits. Since then, most other carseat companies have gotten on-board with extended harnessing and started making seats with higher weight limits. It's great!
I want to mention really quickly about how harnessed carseats are outgrown. When a child is forward-facing, the carseat is outgrown when:
a) the child reaches the maximum weight limit
b)the child's shoulders are above the top harness slot (except on one particular carseat which allows the shoulders to go 1 inch above the top harness slot before being outgrown (the Radian))
c) the tops of the child's ears are level with the top of the seat
There are still a lot of carseats available right now that will be outgrown too early. With 40 lb. weight limit seats, most of the time the child outgrows it by weight first. With over 40 lb weigh limit seats, the child usually outgrows it by height before hitting the weight limit and they last much longer than 40-lb seats. There are a few seats that go up to 50 lbs. These may be a good option for you if your children are quite skinny. There are a number of others that go up to 65 lbs. These are great for average-size children. And there are a few that go up to 80 lbs. These are great for huskier children.
After learning about extended harnessing, I was able to keep AJ harnessed until she was almost 8. Unfortunately I had to also move Roo to a booster shortly after that, so he only made it to 6 1/2 in a harness.
There are a number of reasons why extended harnessing is safer. Most 4-5 year olds can't sit correctly in a booster seat for an entire car ride. In order for the seatbelt to do its job, the child needs to be sitting straight with their back against the booster the whole time. But for a lot of kids it's just too tempting to move out of place and fidget and squirm.
Also, it can be downright dangerous to put a small child in a booster. The booster isn't designed for a small child (even if the minimum weight limit on the booster says it is). What happens in an accident is the lap belt is pulled against their bellies and they can have terrible internal damage from that. They can "submarine" under the lapbelt and get terribly hurt that way. Here's a video about a little girl whose parents didn't know any better, but wish they would have.
So if you have a child who's outgrowing their 40-lb weight limit seat, consider getting another harnessed seat with a higher weight limit. There are some really good choices out there now, and there are a few that can be used as a booster once the child has outgrown the harness. (Note: I'm NOT talking about these or these carseats. Those are HORRIBLE in terms of booster-fit on children and usually have a 40 lb weight limit anyway. I'm talking about this one and this one.)
Before you put your child in a booster, read this and watch the videos linked in the thread.
When you decide your child is ready for a booster, please try to make sure the belts fit properly. Watch this for some guidelines.
The new guidelines for booster seats are that children need to be in a booster seat until age 12 or until they reach 4 ft 9 inches in height. But there's a better, more accurate way to know if your child is ready to be in a regular seatbelt. It's the 5-step test. (The only thing I disagree with in that link is that 4 year olds should be in boosters. It's rare that a 4 year old is big enough AND mature enough to be in a booster.) Keep in mind that your child may fit well in one car, but not in another. You may need to continue using a booster in one car and not another, depending on the fit of the seatbelt.
AJ will remain in a high-back booster until she outgrows them and then will be in a no-back booster until she's able to pass the 5-step test (as will the rest of my children). I prefer high-back boosters over no-back boosters because they:
1) provide more support for a wiggly child who might slip out of the belt in a no-back booster.
2) provide more support for sleeping children on long trips
3) provide much better side impact protection (Watch this. Now imagine that crash in a no-back booster.)
4) provide whiplash protection in vehicles with no headrests or built-in (low) headrests.
And one more video to show why booster seats are so important (even for "big" kids).
And one more to show why lap-only belts are dangerous. (Luckily most vehicles being made today have lap/shoulder belts in all positions. But if you have a lap-only belt in your car, consider installing a carseat there so that children/adults don't have to use it. (A harnessed carseat installed w/a lap-only belt is safe as long as it is a rear-facing carseat or if it is a forward-facing carseat used with a tether.))
And as always, I recommend getting your carseat installations checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) in your area. I can help you find one, or you can find one on this website.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
This is why I'm "crazy" about carseats and seatbelts
As many of you know, I'm a member on a carseat forum. Recently there was a car accident involving a woman who is a CPST (Child Passenger Safety Technician...one of the experts who checks carseat installation). So word spread quickly among the different carseat boards. The woman's name is Casey and she posted a quick version of her story from the hospital. She's since been released and has written up everything that she remembers about the crash. It's every parent's worst nightmare. But because her children were properly restrained, they all walked away from the accident with only minor bruises. Casey, her husband, and her brother all had a few injuries, but they will also "walk away" from the accident. The people in the other car weren't so lucky. There were 6 people in a vehicle not equipped to safely hold 6 people. Only 2 of them were wearing seatbelts (2 of the survivors). 3 of the occupants died-- 2 of them were kids (15 and 11). All 3 that died were brothers. (The video of the newscast I posted below doesn't have all the correct info....they said all but 1 person died. There were 3 survivors. The story of the mother of the 3 boys is here.)
Here is her quick version of the story:
"We took the family camping this weekend. We were towing the boat. Nobody was in front of us. About 15 minutes after we left the campground, we were coming up on some cars heading the opposite direction. When we almost passed the first vehicle, a 4 door Jeep Wrangler swerved into our lane and hit us head on. We were going about 50 mph, not sure how fast they were going.
The other vehicle went into a ditch. There were 6 people in the other vehicle. I think 3 of them died (although the news story I posted says all but 1 died...). Only one person in that vehicle was wearing a seat belt.
We stopped right at the edge of the ditch. We were all wearing our seat belts, and the girls were all properly restrained.
Dan broke his leg and had surgery to put a titanium rod in it. He also had a big gash on his other leg. He's ok, he's in my room with me. My brother is in another hospital, he broke his wrist and had surgery. I am OK... I was in immense pain, they did scans on me and there is a little bit of fluid (not blood) in my abdomen. I had a huge gash on my right hip from the seat belt buckle, it required about 15 stitches. I have some very serious seat belt burn. Its very painful. Im weak, and my neck/shoulders/back are still sore. I will most likely be discharged tomorrow, we'll just have to see how I'm doing.
The girls? Walked away from the crash, which IMO was pretty much a miracle. They were all properly restrained (Kelsey in the 3rd row in a high back turbo booster. Sarah in the 2nd row in a ff Marathon. Megan next to Sarah in a rf Marathon. I was sitting in the 2nd row. Kelsey has a little bit of belt burn on her shoulder, but she's not complaining. Sarah has it on her shoulders from her harness, she is not complaining. Megan doesn't have a single mark on her. We are all extremely lucky to be alive right now.
Here is a link to the video. We are the first story. We aren't sure what is going to happen now though."
And here is the link to her longer write-up of before, during, and after the accident. It's pretty incredible. As a warning to some, she goes into detail about the experience and what she saw, so there are some pretty sad parts.
People sometimes tease me because I'm so protective when it comes to car safety. But the reality is that car accidents are the #1 killer of children. (And they rank pretty high in adult fatalities too.) If there are measures I can take to prevent any of my children from dying in a car accident, I'm going to go above and beyond the minimum requirements so that my kids are as safe as possible. I was going to do another post on carseat safety soon -- specifically related to boosters. This just gave me more motivation. Look for that in a few days.
I'm glad that Casey was well-informed about carseat safety and because of that, her children's lives were saved. I wish more parents cared as much as Casey did.
Here is her quick version of the story:
"We took the family camping this weekend. We were towing the boat. Nobody was in front of us. About 15 minutes after we left the campground, we were coming up on some cars heading the opposite direction. When we almost passed the first vehicle, a 4 door Jeep Wrangler swerved into our lane and hit us head on. We were going about 50 mph, not sure how fast they were going.
The other vehicle went into a ditch. There were 6 people in the other vehicle. I think 3 of them died (although the news story I posted says all but 1 died...). Only one person in that vehicle was wearing a seat belt.
We stopped right at the edge of the ditch. We were all wearing our seat belts, and the girls were all properly restrained.
Dan broke his leg and had surgery to put a titanium rod in it. He also had a big gash on his other leg. He's ok, he's in my room with me. My brother is in another hospital, he broke his wrist and had surgery. I am OK... I was in immense pain, they did scans on me and there is a little bit of fluid (not blood) in my abdomen. I had a huge gash on my right hip from the seat belt buckle, it required about 15 stitches. I have some very serious seat belt burn. Its very painful. Im weak, and my neck/shoulders/back are still sore. I will most likely be discharged tomorrow, we'll just have to see how I'm doing.
The girls? Walked away from the crash, which IMO was pretty much a miracle. They were all properly restrained (Kelsey in the 3rd row in a high back turbo booster. Sarah in the 2nd row in a ff Marathon. Megan next to Sarah in a rf Marathon. I was sitting in the 2nd row. Kelsey has a little bit of belt burn on her shoulder, but she's not complaining. Sarah has it on her shoulders from her harness, she is not complaining. Megan doesn't have a single mark on her. We are all extremely lucky to be alive right now.
Here is a link to the video. We are the first story. We aren't sure what is going to happen now though."
And here is the link to her longer write-up of before, during, and after the accident. It's pretty incredible. As a warning to some, she goes into detail about the experience and what she saw, so there are some pretty sad parts.
People sometimes tease me because I'm so protective when it comes to car safety. But the reality is that car accidents are the #1 killer of children. (And they rank pretty high in adult fatalities too.) If there are measures I can take to prevent any of my children from dying in a car accident, I'm going to go above and beyond the minimum requirements so that my kids are as safe as possible. I was going to do another post on carseat safety soon -- specifically related to boosters. This just gave me more motivation. Look for that in a few days.
I'm glad that Casey was well-informed about carseat safety and because of that, her children's lives were saved. I wish more parents cared as much as Casey did.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Not to dwell on sadness, but here's another example...
Another poor little girl who wasn't as lucky as Joel. Her neck was broken in this accident. You can read the article here.
The truth is, we don't know if she would've lived had she been rear-facing, but I can tell you her odds would've been a lot higher, especially seeing as how everyone else made it out of the accident alive. Sad.
Next post will have happiness, I promise!
The truth is, we don't know if she would've lived had she been rear-facing, but I can tell you her odds would've been a lot higher, especially seeing as how everyone else made it out of the accident alive. Sad.
Next post will have happiness, I promise!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wanna know why I'm a carseat safety nut?
Here's just one of the MANY reasons....this is the story of a little boy named Joel who was 18 months old and in a car accident while safely strapped into his carseat. The problem? He was facing forward.
Here's Joel before the accident:
Here he is after:
This little boy's grandpa has made it his mission to inform people of the dangers of turning babies around once they meet the legal criteria (1 yr and 20 lbs). Their little necks still aren't strong enough to hold back their proportionately "big" heads in the event of an accident. So what happens is this.....internal decapitation. This little boy was lucky and was able to be saved. He's recovering, but will have long-term effects from the accident.
Joel's grandpa tells the story and goes into detail about the dangers of turning babies forward-facing too early. You can read his story here.
And here's a good video someone put together to show the difference in crash dynamics between rear-facing and forward-facing and why it's so important to leave your kids rear-facing for as long as possible.
Here's a link to an AWESOME website put together by a certified carseat technician. The link just shows the part about rear-facing.
And here's her page that shows some "big kids" still rear-facing.
And what would this post be without showing my OWN extended-rear-facing child?
Doesn't she look comfy?
Statistics show that children are 5 times safer riding rear-facing. It's safer for all types of accidents.... frontal, side AND rear impacts.
Now I'll go over a few of the basic rules of correct carseat installation. (Because I know you're all just dying to know if you're using your carseats right ;) Right?)
1. For newborns, they need to be at a 45 degree angle from vertical and once they're bigger and have better head control you can sit them up a bit higher, closer to 30 degrees from vertical, but no less than 30 degrees.
2. The install needs to be TIGHT. No more than an inch movement (front to back or side to side) at the belt path.
3. And the child needs to be buckled up tight too. No slack in the harness (if you can pinch a horizontal line near the shoulder, there's too much slack).
4. The chest clip needs to be at armpit level and no putting bulky clothing or coats on children in carseats. Remove the coat and put it on over the top of them once they're buckled in the carseat.
5. Also, no use of after-market products like those big, fluffy sheepskin things that go under the baby in the carseat, and no adding harness covers for near their necks. If it didn't come with the seat, don't use it.
6. Oh, one more thing that seems to be a common mistake these days. DON'T use both the LATCH system and a seatbelt to install it. Use one or the other, but never both at the same time. (LATCH is not the same thing as the tether anchor....that goes over the back of the seat when they are forward-facing. LATCH is what you can use instead of a seatbelt if your car has the anchors down in the seat bight (the place where the back of the vehicle seat meets the seat itself...where your bum would go.))
7. Also read your carseat manual and your car's owner manual to make sure you understand them clearly. And to find a tech in your area and have your carseats checked, you can go to this website.
Keep watching for info on extended harnessing and proper booster use.
This little boy's grandpa has made it his mission to inform people of the dangers of turning babies around once they meet the legal criteria (1 yr and 20 lbs). Their little necks still aren't strong enough to hold back their proportionately "big" heads in the event of an accident. So what happens is this.....internal decapitation. This little boy was lucky and was able to be saved. He's recovering, but will have long-term effects from the accident.Joel's grandpa tells the story and goes into detail about the dangers of turning babies forward-facing too early. You can read his story here.
And here's a good video someone put together to show the difference in crash dynamics between rear-facing and forward-facing and why it's so important to leave your kids rear-facing for as long as possible.
Here's a link to an AWESOME website put together by a certified carseat technician. The link just shows the part about rear-facing.
And here's her page that shows some "big kids" still rear-facing.
And what would this post be without showing my OWN extended-rear-facing child?
Doesn't she look comfy?Statistics show that children are 5 times safer riding rear-facing. It's safer for all types of accidents.... frontal, side AND rear impacts.
Now I'll go over a few of the basic rules of correct carseat installation. (Because I know you're all just dying to know if you're using your carseats right ;) Right?)
1. For newborns, they need to be at a 45 degree angle from vertical and once they're bigger and have better head control you can sit them up a bit higher, closer to 30 degrees from vertical, but no less than 30 degrees.
2. The install needs to be TIGHT. No more than an inch movement (front to back or side to side) at the belt path.
3. And the child needs to be buckled up tight too. No slack in the harness (if you can pinch a horizontal line near the shoulder, there's too much slack).
4. The chest clip needs to be at armpit level and no putting bulky clothing or coats on children in carseats. Remove the coat and put it on over the top of them once they're buckled in the carseat.
5. Also, no use of after-market products like those big, fluffy sheepskin things that go under the baby in the carseat, and no adding harness covers for near their necks. If it didn't come with the seat, don't use it.
6. Oh, one more thing that seems to be a common mistake these days. DON'T use both the LATCH system and a seatbelt to install it. Use one or the other, but never both at the same time. (LATCH is not the same thing as the tether anchor....that goes over the back of the seat when they are forward-facing. LATCH is what you can use instead of a seatbelt if your car has the anchors down in the seat bight (the place where the back of the vehicle seat meets the seat itself...where your bum would go.))
7. Also read your carseat manual and your car's owner manual to make sure you understand them clearly. And to find a tech in your area and have your carseats checked, you can go to this website.
Keep watching for info on extended harnessing and proper booster use.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
