It’s estimated that 80 percent of car seats need to be reinstalled, because they are loose and not installed correctly. Make sure your child is as safe as he can be by avoiding these common car seat errors.
The car seat harness is loose
The harness is critical in restraining your child from flying forward or side to side in the event of an accident. So it’s important that you make sure it’s tight. The most common way of testing is the pinch test: after you buckle your little one in, try to see if you can put the strap between your fingers. Can you do it? If you can, the harness is too loose and must be tightened.
The seat is too loose
Position yourself in front of the seat and hold it with both hands. Pull it, push it and manhandle it a bit. If the seat moves more than an inch in any direction, it’s not tight enough and you need to adjust it. Put as much of your weight as possible on the seat and, while holding it down, grab the belt and tighten it as much as possible.
The car seat is not facing backwards
This is a critical point. The safest infant car seat is positioned facing the rear and not forward, because in the event of a crash, the baby is less likely to have serious injuries while facing the rear.
Babies have stronger backs and spines than necks. While facing forward, they are subject to their heads being thrown forward and back in an accident, and this can result in possible serious neck and spinal injuries. Many top-quality seats can now be used as rear-facing until a child reaches the weight of 40 pounds, before she must be turned to face forward.
The retaining clip is placed incorrectly
The retaining clip gives you insurance that the harness is in the correct position, as well as extra security for your child. If placed correctly, the retaining clip should lie across your little one’s chest at the same height as her armpits. After buckling your youngster in, get into the habit of making sure the clip is positioned correctly.
The seat is not at a 45-degree angle
The safest infant seat position is facing back at a 45-degree angle. However, the seat should fit flat on the back seat. Today’s newer car seats have built-in levels that will let parents know if the seats are positioned correctly. Since most back seats are angled, you may have to place towels under the seat to ensure that it sits flat.
Information for convertible seat owners
Convertible car seats are rear-facing and then convert to forward-facing as your child grows. The best convertible car seats are rear-facing until a child is around 40 pounds, and then turned forward until your child reaches a weight of 70 pounds. It’s important to know that your seat harness will use different slots once the seat is turned forward. Check your owner’s manual.
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There’s nothing more important than your child’s safety, and these simple checks will make sure that your youngster is as safe as possible in her car seat.
Jerry Patterson is the parent of two children and grandfather of five. He’s a retired teacher, child safety advocate, and creator of Car Seats Reviews, at www.carseats-reviews.com.
