How to Use a Carseat

To ensure the safety of your child, you must properly install and use a car seat. But what are the regulations? What are the guidelines? Here I will explain how to use a car seat properly and the information on who needs to use a car seat.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Over 50 percent of children deaths are due to car accidents where the child was unrestrained. Over 20 percent are due to improper use of a car seat. There may be some things about how to use a car seat properly that you may not know.

2. If you baby is under 25 pounds they should always face the rear. Facing the rear is always the safest way to face and using a car seat this way should be done as long as possible. The child should face the rear unless their height will no longer allow them.

3. Do not use old car seats. The rules is that if the car seat is 6 years old it is to be thrown away. Everything ages and breaks and it would be awful if during an accident a snap broke and something bad happened.

4. A rear facing car seat should be reclined at 45 degrees, once a baby reaches 30 pounds they should no longer be reclined and should be sitting up straight.

5. To use a car seat properly you should select a car seat with a harness that snaps in front of the baby. Harnesses are the safest.

6. The harness should snap at the armpit level across the chest. This is very important. Never have the harness over the stomach or neck.

7. When your child is 40 pounds they can begin using a booster seat. To use a car seat properly your child must be seated in the booster seat and have a seatbelt going over their lap and over their shoulder.

8. The seat belt going over an older child should go over the top of the thighs, not the stomach. The upper strap should go across the shoulder, not the neck.

9. Always periodically look back at your kids and check to make sure you are still using a car seat properly. Some kids and younger children will take their seatbelt off, take their arms out of the harness, etc. You must stress to your child how important it is to use the car seat properly and to keep themselves in it properly.

10. The age that your child stops using a car seat varies by state. I will include a link that you go and read your state's specification on how to use a car seat properly.

Resources

• Car Seat Types and Safety
• Car Seat Laws by State