It is very important to tuck your kids safely in the car before going on either a short ride or a long trip. Using a child safety seat is the best protection you can give your infant or toddler when traveling.
Each child or infant in the vehicle must be properly restrained as required by child safety seat laws. Having a safety seat is the best way to reduce risk of a serious injury or death to a child, baby or toddler during an automobile crash.
However, a child seat will not be helpful at all if you don’t choose the right seat. It is also important to install it properly to secure your child.
Choosing a good child seat
General guidelines are available to ensure that you choose a reliable child seat. It doesn’t have to be the most expensive. The most reliable car seat is one that best fits the child size, age and weight as well as one that is appropriate with the vehicle.
Safe installation. inspection and testing
A technician can be helpful to make sure that the child seat is correctly installed in the car. Installation technicians can be provided by health departments, law enforcement agencies, fire departments or public safety groups to assist parents and car users. Safety technician must have the necessary certification to do the job.
You can also subject the car seat installation to any inspection facility in the country.
You can’t be guaranteed that the seat is safe enough for your child unless it is tested. Testing the child seat prior to actual travel can ease your worry and give you peace of mind during travels.Check if the base of the seat is not too loose. Make sure the harness is not loose. Check also that retainer clips and harness are properly clipped to the right slots. Choose the high quality child seat; don’t try using seats that are not approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
More tips for your kid’s safety
There are other things you need to remember during actual travel.
- Do not to leave your child when leaving the vehicle even when you are leaving only for a few minutes.
- Be sure to teach your child on how to use the seat and on how to get in and out of the vehicle on the footpath side at the right way.
- Before starting the vehicle, make sure that your child is buckled up by the restraints.
Choosing the right child safety seat must adhere to the regulations of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213.
Never install or avail of a seat that is more than 6 years old or one that has been part of an accident or crash.
All parts of the seat should be complete and not worn out. The manufacturing date as well as model number of the seat should also be seen.
A used seat may only be acceptable if you have spoken with the manufacturer on how long its reliability is ensured. Otherwise, a new model is is the only option you should accept.