When coming up with different topics for my blog, I tend to focus more on air travel, forgetting that a lot of people use ground transportation to arrive at their destinations too. Since this is a family blog, I thought that including a blog about traveling safely with children via ground transportation deserved some attention. I was also motivated by the numerous drivers I see daily that have children climbing around inside the car while it’s in motion. It’s amazing how the most precious cargo is at times neglected.
One basic reminder by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is that children 12 and under should ride properly restrained in the back seat. The keyword is in the back seat. Often, I see children that are much younger than 12 sitting in the front seat, without a seatbelt.
Selecting the correct child seat requires a little bit of effort, but it’s worth it. Lets say you have a child between the ages of newborn to 1 year weighing up to 35 pounds, then you’d buy an infant seat or a rear-facing convertible seat. It’s important that they ride rear facing up until 1 year. Also, tilt the seat to a 30-45 degree angle, preventing the child’s head from dangling forward. You also want to make sure that you don’t tip it to far back or you run the risk of the child coming out of the seat in a crash.
Once they reach anywhere between the ages of 1 to 4, they can ride facing forward. The type of seat you’d want to choose should either be a convertible or a forward-facing seat. You can either use the upright position, or the position recommended by the manufacturer of the seat.
After the age of 4 and up until 8 years old, you would want to buy a belt-positioning booster seat, a backless or a high-back seat. You would want to also keep it forward facing. If your child happens to be taller than 4’9”, a booster seat may not be necessary.
If you are putting a child in an adult safety belt, there are things you need to consider. First of all, most children eight years old and younger have hipbones that are not strongly developed yet and their bodies are too short to sit properly with an adult safety belt on. Some questions you want to consider are:
Are they tall enough to sit without slouching?
Can they keep their back against the vehicle’s seat back?
Can they keep their knees completely bent over the edge of the seat?
Are they able to keep their feet flat on the floor?
Are they able to remain seated comfortably this way?
You could arbitrarily buy any XYZ brand car seat that meets minimum safety requirements. As a matter of fact, all seats sold in the US must meet certain standards. It might be best to choose a more highly rated seat. The following get consistent rave reviews from experts and parents.
Britax Marathon Car Seat ($200-$250)
Britax Roundabout Car Seat ($160-$200)
Evenflo Triumph Car Seat ($100-$125)
Graco ComfortSport 5-Point Harness Car Seat ($70-$120)
Cosco Alpha Omega 5-Point Harness Car Seat ($75-$150)
Cosco Touriva 5-Point Harness Car Seat (60-$80)
There’s a little more to it than just buying the seat. You’ll have to make sure it’s properly installed. Check the safety seat instructions and the owner’s manual for the vehicle for advice on using the safety belts to install a safety seat. If after reading the instructions you are still confused, call the U.S. Department of Transportation Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT.
Obeying traffic signals and refraining from road rage are all important for the safety of your passengers and you. However, making sure that the most precious cargo is properly secured to ensure their safety is a major part of that equation too.