Child Safety Seat Tips and Recommendations

Safe and Secure Is Your Child Safe? Fact: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for American children. Fact: All 50 states and the District of Columbia have passed mandatory child safety seat usage laws. Child Safety Seat Tips: The back seat is generally the safest place for a child in the event of a crash. Infants should ride in rear facing seat with restraints, until age 1 or 20 pounds. Read your safety seat manual for instructions regarding weight and height limits. Children over age 1 and 20 pounds may ride facing forward. The harness should be adjusted so you can slip one finger underneath the straps at your child's chest. The clip goes at armpit level. Keep your child in a safety seat with a full harness as long as possible, until they weigh at least 40 pounds. A belt-positioning booster seat is recommended for children between 40 to 80 pounds. It is used with the adult lap and shoulder belt. These tips were taken from the National Highway and Safety Administration's "Transportation Safety Tips" and do not provide all the information/skills needed to install a child safety seat. Additional information can be found at NHTSA's web site: www.nhtsa.org Parents are also reminded to: Avoid placing a child under age 12 in the front seat of a vehicle equipped with an air bag. Avoid using second-hand child safety restraints or restraints that have been involved in a crash. Always read carefully both the vehicle owner's manual and the seat manufacturer's instructions.