A Safe Ride

Car Seats are Serious Business

Did you know that more than 90 percent of car seats are installed or used incorrectly? This means that you could think you are doing everything right, but chances are, your baby could be safer.

Here are 10 tips to make sure your children are safe in their car seats:

 

Every car is different. Every car seat is different. Read the manuals for both car and car seat carefully. It may seem obvious, but this is extremely important. If you don't read the directions, you may miss something critical in the use or installation of your car seat.

 

Kneel in the car seat as you are putting the car seat in. Actually climb into the car and put your weight into the seat. Then pull the seatbelt as tight as it can go. If your car seat moves side to side or forward a little bit after it is installed, it is too loose.

 

Later model cars have locking seatbelt latch plates, or seatbelts which, when pulled all the way out, will lock in position. Check your owner's manual to be sure. If you have a car manufactured earlier than 1995, or if you can't get your car seat tight by kneeling in it, you will need a locking clip. Locking clips should be placed a half-inch from the buckle. To put a locking clip on, buckle the car seat in, kneel in it to get it tight, then unbuckle. Hold the seatbelt tight so you know the position it should be in, then install the locking clip one half-inch from the buckle. Re-buckle. You may have to kneel in the seat again in order to get the buckle tight.

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