Baby Safety Month: 10 Car Seat Safety Tips
As a parent, one of the most important things we do is keep our children safe from harm, from the moment we find out they’re on their way and long after they’ve grown up and moved out. When they’re little, their safety in the car is one of those things we never stop thinking about.
Are they comfortable? Are they still strapped in? What if I get into an accident?
Every day is baby safety day when you’re a parent, but September is officially Baby Safety Month. This is a great time to review the basics of car seat safety and make sure your children are safe in the car.
- Until your children are older than 12, keep them in the backseat whenever possible.
- Make sure everyone is in a proper seat for their age, weight, and height.
- Rear-facing seats are for babies under a year and under 22 pounds. If your baby is more than 20 pounds before the age of one, you may need to replace their seat with another that works for heavier babies.
- Booster seats are for children 40 to 80 pounds.
- When you install the seat, make sure you put the safety belt through the correct slot.
- Tether forward facing seats to the anchor at the back, even if you use the safety belt. This will keep the seat from shifting too much if there’s an accident.
- Buckle the harness so that it’s snug and the straps are over their shoulder. The buckle should be over their chest, and you should only be able to put a finger between your child and the strap and buckle.
- In the winter, take off their bulky jackets before securing kids into their car seat.
- Your child is ready to move out of the booster seat when they can sit up without slouching, put their feet on the floor of the car, and have the seat belt secure them properly. This means the lap belt fits tightly over the tops of their thighs and the shoulder belt sits over their shoulder and across their chest.
- When in doubt, have your car seat checked for proper installation. Go to safercar.gov to find a location near you.
Nothing is more precious than your children. Make sure they’re safe whenever they get into the car with you or any adult with proper car seat installation and use.
If you want to make sure your entire family is protected with enough auto insurance coverage, contact us here at Click Insurance to go over your existing policy or to receive an estimate for a new auto insurance policy.
Comments are closed.