Infant and Child Safety Seats are only safer than seatbelts alone if they are used consistently and properly. Below are the top 15 most common car seat errors that parents might make:
1. Keeping the handle up on infant seats: Infant seats can pose a hazard to the infant and others in the vehicle in the event of a crash. There are a few car seats that are safe to use with the handle in the upright position so always check your owner’s manual and, when in doubt, lower the handle every single time you buckle baby in!
2. Turning a car seat forward-facing too soon: Infants need to be rear facing a MINIMUM of 12 months AND 20 lbs. This means that if a child is 20 lbs before they are a year old, they need to remain rear facing until they are over the one year mark at a minimum. If a child hits his first birthday under 20 lbs, he needs to remain rear-facing until he is at least 20 lbs. Almost all convertible car seats are not designed to face the rear for 30 lbs or more and it is recommended that a child remain rear-facing as long as possible as this position provides significantly more crash protection.
3. Leaving your child in an infant seat too long: One of the largest mistakes parents make is overlooking the height constraints placed on infant car seats. Infant seats are limited to very young and small infants and their weight and height constraints are often significantly smaller than rear-facing convertible seats. Many infant seats have a weight limit of 20-22 lbs and a height limit of 26” or less which may be overgrown by most infants within the first six months of life. When a child surpasses the height or weight limit (which ever is reached first, not last!), they should switch to a rear-facing convertible car seat. Many parents opt to skip the infant seat entirely and use a rear-facing convertible seat from day one.
4. Moving the child to a booster seat too soon: Even though there are booster seats that are rated for children 30 lbs and up, a child shouldn’t be moved into a booster seat until he is too heavy for his convertible car seat. Most car seats are safe through 40 lbs but some are certified for even more. Also a child’s height is a consideration. If your child’s ears reach the top of the car seat or their shoulders come above the top harness slot, it is time to move onto a booster seat.
5. Moving out of a booster seat too soon: Most children are not ready to toss the booster until they are at least 8 years old. You can see if your child is ready by testing to see if the belt sits properly on the child. The belt should lie across the chest and not cut into the child’s neck. The lap belt lies across the child’s thighs, not his stomach. And, the easiest test, your child can sit with his back up against the seat’s back and still bend his legs at the knees. If he is still too small to pass these simple tests, the seat belt will not adequately protect him in the event of an accident and a belt-positioning booster seat is required for optimal safety.
6. Belting the seat in too loosely: When installing a car seat, always check to make sure that the seat is belted in tightly enough so that it will not move more than an inch in any direction. It is also wise to frequently re-check an already-installed seat to make sure it hasn’t loosened over time.
7. Leaving the harness too loose: The harness is what properly restrains your child in the event of a crash. You should not be able to fit more than 2 fingers between your child and the harness, it should be snug. Be careful that blankets, coats and other objects are not causing the harness to remain loose.
8. Incorrect harness level: If a child is rear-facing, the harness should always attach to the back of the car seat at or below the level of your child’s shoulders. When you turn your child forward-facing, the harness should be threaded at or above your child’s shoulders. This is usually the upper most slot available unless your car seat is designed with multiple forward-facing slots.
9. Incorrect chest clip level: The chest slip is what keeps the harness properly aligned on your child’s shoulders. The chest clip should always be kept at the child’s arm pit level.
10. Placing the child in the front seat of the car – with or without a child safety seat: The front seat is not safe for children, period. A child should not sit in the front seat until they are at least 13 years old, regardless of car seat status. Rear-facing car seats should absolutely never be placed in a front seat with airbags. Front seats are adult-only seats.
11. Incorrect angle of the infant seat: Rear-facing seats should be placed at a 45-degree angle. Forward facing seat should be placed in the upright position.
12. Failure to Replace a seat after a crash: If a child is in a car seat during a crash, even a very minor one, it needs to be replaced. Often times, automobile insurance will cover the replacement car seat but even if it doesn’t, the seat is designed to sustain one vehicle crash only and it may not provide the necessary protection for future impacts.
13. Purchasing a used safety seat: Because one can not be sure if a used seat ever endured a crash, a used safety seat should only be purchased or used if the history is well known such as might be the case with a relative or friend. Regardless, car seats are not made to be used indefinitely, even without a crash occurring. Car seats have a life span of no more than 10 years and some should not be used more than 5-6 years.
14. Not replacing damaged or worn parts of the safety seat: Safety seats keep our children safe through a series of features designed for the job! If some of these features break, are missing or worn down, the seat can no longer perform its job at the capacity for which it was designed. Things such as worn or damaged foam can make a huge difference in the seat’s protective abilities in the event of an accident. Most of these parts are easily and inexpensively replaceable through the seat manufacturer’s website.
15. Failure to acknowledge a recall: When you purchase a car seat, register your seat always! Keep your registration current if you move so that you will receive recalls, should one occur. And whenever a seat is recalled, take it seriously and replace or correct the recall before using the seat again.
For more information on Child Safety, visit our Consumer Reviews Blog