From the moment your child is born, you’ll need a car child safety seat in order to safely transport them from the hospital to your house. There are rules in place in each of the 50 states that require you to keep your kid securely buckled in and secured inside a car seat until he or she is at minimum 7 years old. In addition, booster seats are required for children in the majority of states until they reach a specific age, weigh at least 60 pounds, or reach a certain height. In this blog, we’ll explore car seat safety in more detail.
Why Is Car Seat Safety Important?
In the United States, injuries sustained in vehicle accidents and drowning are the biggest cause of mortality for children less than 9 years old. Sadly, the majority of children and babies involved in these accidents were not secured in the appropriate manner. It is possible to save the lives of countless children by understanding and practicing car seat safety.
Choosing an Appropriate Child Car Safety Seat
As all car seats now available on the market are compliant with the strict crash-and-fire-safety criteria established by the United States government, you can be certain that any new car seat you purchase will provide enough protection. (This statement does not apply to car seats that have been previously owned or to seats that were bought more than a few years ago; such seats may have been manufactured to meet standards that are outdated, may have been involved in an accident, or may have been recalled due to safety violations.)
However, even if a car seat is in compliance with the criteria set by the federal government, it may still pose a threat to the child’s safety if it is not fitted or used appropriately. Therefore, the best car seat is the one that is the simplest for you to use, as well as the one that fits your child and your vehicle the best.
When Is a Convertible Car Seat Required?
Baby car safety seats, also known as infant-only seats, should always be installed so that they face the back of the vehicle. They do have a weight restriction that ranges from 22 to 35 pounds, but no higher. When your child reaches the maximum weight or height requirements for their infant carrier, you should transition them to a convertible car seat that faces the back of the vehicle.
Convertible car seats, also known as infant-toddler car seats, have the ability to face either backward (for infants and toddlers) or forwards (for larger children) while the vehicle is in motion. Many of the newest models can accommodate children who weigh up to 70 pounds when positioned in the forward-facing position and up to 40 pounds when positioned in the rear-facing position. It is in your child’s best interest to remain in a rear-facing position for as long as possible.
In fact, the most recent recommendations issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) state that you should keep your child inside a rear-facing car seat until after the child has reached the seat’s maximum height and weight limits for being in a rear-facing position, which typically occurs around the age of 4.