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Automobile accidents are the number one killers of children. There is absolutely nothing more important for your child’s health than protection in the automobile. When your children are in your vehicle drive prudently and use seat belts or safety restraints. The average infant or child seat costs less than the average doctor’s office visit, and a car seat can be used for years for many children and then they may be passed on to a friend or relative. It is the number one health bargain of all time.
When selecting an infant or child seat, be sure that you understand how it must be installed. Many require anchoring that will involve placing a bolt through the floor of the car. There are a number of acceptable seats available. Models change frequently, but be sure that the one you purchase has a label certifying that it has been crash tested. Check that the model fits in your car and that it is properly installed according to the instructions. If a tether strap and anchor bolt are required, the seat will not protect your child without them. Also, seat belts that lock only on impact are not adequate for holding seats in place around sharp turns or minor bumps. Special clips are available for these types of seat belts that will allow them to accommodate infant seats. The last step in selecting an infant or child seat is to check prices. They will vary considerably. Many communities have rental programs, but a child will need one for four to five years. It will be less expensive to invest in the one time cost of a good child or infant seat.
Infant car seats must face backward, and are usually installed in the front seat, and are good up to ten months or about twenty pounds. These seats should be used with caution in cars having front passenger air bags. Injuries can occur if the air bag opens. To avoid this, rear facing infant seats should be used in the back seat or the front seat should be moved as far back as possible.
Many child safety advocates recommend the seats that convert from infant to child seats. Initially they are installed in the reclining position facing backward, and as the child grows they need to be turned to face forward. These types of infant seats are good from birth to age five or about forty pounds. There are numerous of models to choose from. It is not recommended to face the seat forward until the child is about eighteen pounds. A padded chest protector is another excellent benefit of most of these types of seat.
Child car seats are recommended for children over fifteen pounds and they face towards the front. Seats that require anchoring are ineffective if installed improperly. It is also important to consider convenience. Some parents have found highly recommended seats so complicated to use that they were forced to buy a different seat. Effective infant seats are now available that do not require anchoring.
It is very important to purchase your infant seat before you bring your baby home from the hospital. Make the first ride a safe ride. But remember to make it a comfortable ride for your baby by bringing along towels or blankets to prop your child. Remember that as long as your child weighs less than eighteen pounds that the car seat should be facing the rear of the car. Even the best seat will not protect your child if it is not used at all or not used properly. Be sure you understand proper usage before buying any restraining seat.
Harnesses, seat belts and shoulder straps can be used for older children. Children over forty pounds can use seat belts. Children under four and a half feet tall should not use shoulder straps since they can cause neck injuries. Place the strap behind the child. The best way to teach a child to use a seat belt is to use one yourself, the child will quickly learn that when you enter a car, you automatically put on a seat belt.
Child safety in vehicles does not only concern a moving vehicle. Use extreme caution before leaving small children in cars during shopping trips. Families who would never leave pills or solvents in reach of children at home often leave them unattended in cars with shopping bags full of these same dangerous products. Also with a car’s windows rolled up it can take only moments before children can suffocate or die of heat exhaustion. Leaving a child alone is also an invitation for abduction. Never leave small children alone in a car.
Finally, parents must become advocates in their communities for full implementation and enforcement of laws designed to protect children, including enforcing speed limits, minimum drinking age, and license suspension for drunk driving.
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