Part of being a parent is making sure that your children are safe. This is especially important when they get in the car (or you put them in the car). It may seem obvious that your child needs a car seat, but installing it and using it safely may be difficult for some parents to master.
The importance of using a car seat properly cannot be understated. Children in Arizona are 31 times more likely to be injured in a car accident if they are not properly fastened into their seat; or the seat is not properly secured. To avoid this disastrous scenario, parents and caretakers should take the following tips into consideration.
Make sure you have the right size seat – Manufacturers like to sell consumers on “one size fits all” seats that can grow with the child. Nevertheless, making sure that the seat fits your child is imperative regardless of the brand you purchase.
Pay attention to safety ratings – Just like cars get ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, car seats gain such ratings as well.
Learn about hand-me-down seats – It is nice to get a donated car seat; but in doing so, it is important to know the seat’s history. If it is damaged, you may not want to use it.
Pay attention to recall notices – Just like cars can be subject to recall notices, so can car seats. If you are notified of a recall or hear about one on TV or through the Internet, it is worth exchanging the seat.