EDMONTON — It’s something many parents worry about: is my child properly strapped into their car seat?
It can be tricky to know exactly how to strap them in and when to make the switch to a larger option. Here are some tips.
Common mistakes
Kelley Adams-Campos, a certified child passenger safety technician with Ford Motor Company, says a harness that is too loose is one of the most common mistakes made by parents. Having harness straps in the wrong position for the child’s shoulders is also a common mistake.
“The harness should always come out equal to or below the shoulders on a rear-facing child. And when they go forward-facing it should always be equal to or above (the shoulders),” Adams-Campos said.
Another mistake often made is not putting the chest clip even with the child’s armpits.
“If the chest clip is too low on their body then there would be too big of a gap and they would be able to be ejected during a crash,” explained Adams-Campos.
When should the child switch over to a front-facing seat?
Adams-Campos said parents often take their kids out of a rear-facing seat and put them into a front-facing seat too soon.
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“Age two is what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends,” she said. “Really, ideally, they should be rear-facing as long as possible, so up to the weight or height restriction of that child restraint.”
While many parents worry about their kid’s legs getting cramped, Adams-Campos said switching the seat too soon can lead to much more serious injuries if a crash happens.
“The legs are going to incur injuries that will heal over time, but if you turn them forward-facing too early now you’re subjecting their head, neck and their brain to injuries that may be life-altering,” she said, suggesting parents take their child out of the car seat more often to let them stretch their legs.
When should the child move into a booster seat?
“Once they’ve outgrown the weight of their convertible seat now they should go into a booster seat,” said Adams-Campos. “Generally you should do it no sooner than age six; the minimum is 40 pounds.”
Other helpful tips
Adams-Campos said it’s important to limit the amount of clothing between the child and seat in order to restrain the body as much as possible. While that can be tough with winter on its way, Adams-Campos offers the following bit of advice.
“Babies are easy, you can put blankets on top of them. When a child gets older and they’re wearing coats and things, warm up the car ahead of time, take off their coat when they get in, put it on backwards after they’re restrained.”
The number one tip Adams-Campos has for parents: read the vehicle and car seat owner’s manual.
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