Car Safety Seat Misuse

Car Safety Seat Misuse

In many jurisdictions around North America, motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 4 to 14. Further, many of these deaths are due to car safety seat misuse. Many caregivers are in a false sense of security because their baby is in a car seat, but if that car seat is being misused, the baby is not safer than without a car seat.

Installation

The most common problem is a car seat that is not installed properly. Make sure you follow the manufacturers instructions. You should also consider going to a clinic in your area, where professionals will help you ensure that the installation was done properly. Check for a clinic in your area by doing a search on the internet. Here is one example of a helpful site that I found. Car Seat Installation Tips. If you live in the United States, here is a site that will help you find a local Child Safety Seat Inspection Station.

Buying a Used Car Safety Seat

Have you purchased, or are you considering a used car seat? Ask if it has been in an accident. A seat that has been involved in a wreck can stretch and become ineffective. Car seats are designed for one accident in one vehicle, which is also true for a vehicle’s seatbelts.

Another factor when getting a used car seat is to make sure the original factory stickers are still intact. These stickers help you check recall lists. From time to time a manufacturer will find defects in their manufacturing processes and they will issue a recall for a particular model. If you buy one of these defective seats, you are risking your baby's safety.

Just before you go, here is one more useful Car Safety Seat site.

As well, see our article Car Seat Deadly Mistakes.

Yours in parenthood, Grandpa Richard.

News about Car Seat Safety

These news items are supplied by "Yahoo! News". You can visit them at http://news.yahoo.com/.

• Car seat safety
  I recently contacted Lexus headquarters inquiring about information on appropriate children's car seats for older model automobiles. Lexus referred me to a website that provided a wealth of information and also made available a process for obtaining a tether for additional safety in older cars.
  


• Car booster seats rated, can insure safety for kids
  Car booster seats have made strides in ensuring a proper fit for children in the back seat, according to a review by the insurance industry.
  


• Car Booster Seats Make Gains in Insurance Testing
  Child car booster seats show improvement, insurance industry finds. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - Business - Insurance - Seat belt - Eddie Bauer
  


• Booster Seat Safety Rankings
  There's an important safety alert from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and it concerns anyone who drives with small children in the car. Booster seats save lives, but crash test results show
  


• Car booster seats make gains in safety testing
  The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave its top marks to 21 of 72 booster seats it evaluated for properly restraining children, or about 30 percent, according to results released Wednesday. Last year, the Institute only handed out its "best bet" citation to nine of the 60 seats it reviewed, or 15 percent.
  


• New booster seat safety ratings
  New booster seat safety ratings
  


• Child car booster seats show improvement, insurance industry finds
  Car booster seats have made strides in ensuring a proper fit for children in the back seat, according to a review by the insurance industry, though just over 10 percent of those evaluated weren'...