Crystal
10-20-2007, 02:37 AM
Originally posted by Gypsy:
Week 1:
I've done 4 Safe Kids seat check now since getting certified.
BY FAR the most common mistake I have seen is carseats in too loosely.
Go look at your carseat. Grab it by the belt path (where the seatbelt, or LATCH goes through the seat) and push and pull from side to side, if it moves more then an inch at the belt path your carseat is too loose and needs to be tighter. If you can't get it tighter on your own, please find a certified tech in your area to help you.
www.seatcheck.org
or
http://tinyurl.com/dy7gl
Re: Carseat Tip of the Week (history)
Week 2:
Lets talk about your child's harness.
For rear facing seats, the harness should be at or below your child's shoulders, for forward facing it should be at or above your child's shoulders.
There should be no twists or folds in the harness, it should lay flat on your child's body.
Some convertible carseats on the market require you to use ONLY the top reinforced slots when forward facing -- check your owners manual to see if your's is one of them!
The job of the harness is to hold your child into their seat during a crash, and to evenly distribute the force of the crash over multiple parts of their body -- for this reason -- the more "points" of contact, the better. A 5 point offers more protection then a 3 point.
Read more here:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/fivepointshield.aspx
Once your child's harness is positioned properly, it's time to tighten it. You should not be able to pinch any slack in the harness at your child's upper chest by their collar bone. If you can pinch slack the harness isn't tight enough.
The chest clip should be at armpit level.
Week 3:
If it didn't come with your carseat, don't use it with your carseat.
Things like infant head supports, the Mighty Tite, car seat covers that aren't ordered directly from the carseat manufacturer, seat protectors, harness covers that didn't come with the seat or any of the hundreds of products available for purchase have not been crash tested with your carseat and could pose a serious risk in a crash.
Week 4:
Why Does My Child Need to Ride in a
Booster Seat?
Car crashes kill more children 4 to 8 years old than anything else. Seat belts save lives, but a seat belt that doesn�t fit correctly won�t protect your child in a crash. Booster seats solve the problem. In a crash, a child who is too small for a seat belt can slip out and get hurt or die. Children also can be badly hurt in a crash when the lap part of the seat belt sits up on the tummy, where it can injure internal organs. A shoulder belt worn under the arm can break ribs, and placing the shoulder belt behind the back causes the child to move too far forward in a crash causing head trauma. Many states now have booster seat laws. Doctors and safety experts advise that children use booster seats until the seat belt fits correctly, which is when the http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm]5 step test[/url] is passed.
The current recommendations for booster use are a minimum of 4 years AND 40 pounds, with the majority of children not being mature enough to use a booster until they are at least 5-6 years old. A child should not be moved to a booster until they are at least 4 AND 40 and have outgrown their harnessed carseat, a harnessed carseat is the safest place in the car for a child. Every step up in carseats is a step down in safety.
Why does a child need maturity to use a booster?
A child needs to be able to sit upright every moment in the booster, no slouching, no leaning to the side, no reaching over to get something off the floor or seat next to them. You can�t choose when you will be in a crash, every moment counts and a child must be able to stay properly positioned so the seatbelt will properly protect them in a crash.
Some basics of booster seat use
ALWAYS follow manufacturer directions for where to route the seatbelt over your child. With some boosters it�s behind the arm rests and with most it�s under the arm rests. Some models do not have arm rests.
Make sure the lap belt portion is over your child�s hips or thighs.
Make sure the shoulder belt portion is over your child�s shoulder, the shoulder belt should never be placed behind your child�s back or under their arm � in a crash these incorrect placements could be fatal.
Check your owner�s manual for your booster, some high back boosters require vehicle head support behind your child�s head, other high back boosters do not.
ALL backless boosters require a head rest or seat back to at least the top of your child�s ears, without this they have no head protection in a crash.
Make sure your child meets the age, height and weight requirements for your booster seat.
Most boosters don�t allow the use of LATCH or a top tether, though very few booster do, so read your owner�s manual.
High back or backless, what�s the difference?
Frontal crashes are the most common, there is no difference in the safety of high back and backless boosters in frontal crashes, however according to the Partners for Child Passenger Safety �The risk reduction provided by booster seats in side-impact crashes varied by booster seat type: 4-to 8-year-olds riding in high back booster seats were at a 70 percent reduction in injury risk, while those in backless boosters did not experience a statistically significant risk reduction as compared with seat belts alone.�
A few weeks ago I learned something that may benefit some of the parents and children here. http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/86yHarness.shtml]EZ-On makes a harness called the 86Y harness.[/url] It can be used starting at 40 pounds and MUST be used with a booster any booster, even high back boosters until 65 pounds but can be used until the child outgrows the booster if a parent chooses to keep using the booster. The harness is a 4 point harness that requires a top tether. http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf]You can check the tether weight limits for your car here [/url] if your car isn�t listed you will need to call the car manufacturer to find out the limits. The 86Y harness does come with a special tether kit that when installed (again check with your dealer or EZ-On for installation locations and directions) will allow you to use this 4 point harness to 168 pounds! With the 86Y harness a lap belt position can be used with a booster!
Week 1:
I've done 4 Safe Kids seat check now since getting certified.
BY FAR the most common mistake I have seen is carseats in too loosely.
Go look at your carseat. Grab it by the belt path (where the seatbelt, or LATCH goes through the seat) and push and pull from side to side, if it moves more then an inch at the belt path your carseat is too loose and needs to be tighter. If you can't get it tighter on your own, please find a certified tech in your area to help you.
www.seatcheck.org
or
http://tinyurl.com/dy7gl
Re: Carseat Tip of the Week (history)
Week 2:
Lets talk about your child's harness.
For rear facing seats, the harness should be at or below your child's shoulders, for forward facing it should be at or above your child's shoulders.
There should be no twists or folds in the harness, it should lay flat on your child's body.
Some convertible carseats on the market require you to use ONLY the top reinforced slots when forward facing -- check your owners manual to see if your's is one of them!
The job of the harness is to hold your child into their seat during a crash, and to evenly distribute the force of the crash over multiple parts of their body -- for this reason -- the more "points" of contact, the better. A 5 point offers more protection then a 3 point.
Read more here:
http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/fivepointshield.aspx
Once your child's harness is positioned properly, it's time to tighten it. You should not be able to pinch any slack in the harness at your child's upper chest by their collar bone. If you can pinch slack the harness isn't tight enough.
The chest clip should be at armpit level.
Week 3:
If it didn't come with your carseat, don't use it with your carseat.
Things like infant head supports, the Mighty Tite, car seat covers that aren't ordered directly from the carseat manufacturer, seat protectors, harness covers that didn't come with the seat or any of the hundreds of products available for purchase have not been crash tested with your carseat and could pose a serious risk in a crash.
Week 4:
Why Does My Child Need to Ride in a
Booster Seat?
Car crashes kill more children 4 to 8 years old than anything else. Seat belts save lives, but a seat belt that doesn�t fit correctly won�t protect your child in a crash. Booster seats solve the problem. In a crash, a child who is too small for a seat belt can slip out and get hurt or die. Children also can be badly hurt in a crash when the lap part of the seat belt sits up on the tummy, where it can injure internal organs. A shoulder belt worn under the arm can break ribs, and placing the shoulder belt behind the back causes the child to move too far forward in a crash causing head trauma. Many states now have booster seat laws. Doctors and safety experts advise that children use booster seats until the seat belt fits correctly, which is when the http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.htm]5 step test[/url] is passed.
The current recommendations for booster use are a minimum of 4 years AND 40 pounds, with the majority of children not being mature enough to use a booster until they are at least 5-6 years old. A child should not be moved to a booster until they are at least 4 AND 40 and have outgrown their harnessed carseat, a harnessed carseat is the safest place in the car for a child. Every step up in carseats is a step down in safety.
Why does a child need maturity to use a booster?
A child needs to be able to sit upright every moment in the booster, no slouching, no leaning to the side, no reaching over to get something off the floor or seat next to them. You can�t choose when you will be in a crash, every moment counts and a child must be able to stay properly positioned so the seatbelt will properly protect them in a crash.
Some basics of booster seat use
ALWAYS follow manufacturer directions for where to route the seatbelt over your child. With some boosters it�s behind the arm rests and with most it�s under the arm rests. Some models do not have arm rests.
Make sure the lap belt portion is over your child�s hips or thighs.
Make sure the shoulder belt portion is over your child�s shoulder, the shoulder belt should never be placed behind your child�s back or under their arm � in a crash these incorrect placements could be fatal.
Check your owner�s manual for your booster, some high back boosters require vehicle head support behind your child�s head, other high back boosters do not.
ALL backless boosters require a head rest or seat back to at least the top of your child�s ears, without this they have no head protection in a crash.
Make sure your child meets the age, height and weight requirements for your booster seat.
Most boosters don�t allow the use of LATCH or a top tether, though very few booster do, so read your owner�s manual.
High back or backless, what�s the difference?
Frontal crashes are the most common, there is no difference in the safety of high back and backless boosters in frontal crashes, however according to the Partners for Child Passenger Safety �The risk reduction provided by booster seats in side-impact crashes varied by booster seat type: 4-to 8-year-olds riding in high back booster seats were at a 70 percent reduction in injury risk, while those in backless boosters did not experience a statistically significant risk reduction as compared with seat belts alone.�
A few weeks ago I learned something that may benefit some of the parents and children here. http://www.ezonpro.com/products/familyVehicle/86yHarness.shtml]EZ-On makes a harness called the 86Y harness.[/url] It can be used starting at 40 pounds and MUST be used with a booster any booster, even high back boosters until 65 pounds but can be used until the child outgrows the booster if a parent chooses to keep using the booster. The harness is a 4 point harness that requires a top tether. http://www.saferidenews.com/pdfs/LATCHApp_B_pg105.pdf]You can check the tether weight limits for your car here [/url] if your car isn�t listed you will need to call the car manufacturer to find out the limits. The 86Y harness does come with a special tether kit that when installed (again check with your dealer or EZ-On for installation locations and directions) will allow you to use this 4 point harness to 168 pounds! With the 86Y harness a lap belt position can be used with a booster!