According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, motor vehicle injuries are one of the leading cause of death among children in the United States. Tragic as it may seem, many of these deaths can actually be prevented by buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts. So in this article, we focus more on choosing a right car seat for your kids to prevent injuries during accidents.
There are many car seat choices on the market today. Here we give you a guide on how to choose the right one:
- Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size and choose a seat that fits in your vehicle perfectly.
- Your child under one year of age should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.
- Any child who has outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for his convertible car seat should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness for as long as possible.
- All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly.
- When children are old enough and large enough for the vehicle seat belt to fit them correctly, they should always use lap and shoulder seat belts for optimal protection.
- Always read the car seat manufacturer’s instructions, as well as the vehicle owner’s manual on how to install the car seat.
What can you do as a parent? Be a role model. Make sure you always wear your seat belt too as this will help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up. Also, never leave your child alone in or around cars. For more information, you can always call or write the car seat company’s customer service department.
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