Keeping Your Child Safe in The Car
Did you know that car seats saved the lives of an estimated 9,600 children age four and younger between 1975 and 2010? When three out of every four car seats are not used correctly, this can lead to a serious issue of child neglect borne out of ignorance of car safety. One must read instructions carefully.
For your kid’s car seat safety, what should you look for? Apart from automatic door locks, push-down, pull-up window switches, advanced frontal air bags, and side impact air bags among others, car seats are essential add-ons to make a safe car safer for children. There are several options in the market.
The Rear-facing Car Seat is best for kids under the age of one (like newborns and small babies), using them until they reach the top height or weight limits stated by the manufacturer. In a crash, a rear-facing car seat cradles and moves with the child. This helps reduce stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord. This seat is available in 3 types: Infant-Only Seat, small and portable; Convertible Seat, which can convert to forward-facing with a harness as the child grows; and the All-in-One Seat which can change from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing one, to a booster seat as a child grows.
The Forward-facing Car Seat are used by kids who have reached the top height or weight limits stated by the manufacturer of rear-facing seats. During a crash, the harness contacts the child at the strongest parts of the body to distribute the crash forces and to keep the child in the seat. The tether limits the child’s forward head movement. This seat is available in 4 different types.
A Booster Seat is used by kids after they have reached the same limits indicated by manufacturers of the forward-facing seats. This seat is placed in the back seat. It positions the seat belt so that it fits properly over the strongest parts of a child’s body. This can help reduce injury during a crash. Available in 4 types, one is the Booster Seat with Back, designed to boost the child’s height so the seat belt fits properly. It also provides neck and head support and is ideal for vehicles that don’t have head rests or high seat backs.
Then there’s the built-in Seat Belt. It is used by kids who are tall enough to sit in the seat without slouching; can keep their back against the vehicle seat; keep their knees naturally bent over the edge of the seat; and can keep their feet flat on the vehicle floor. Placed over the strongest parts of the body, the seat belt restrains a grown child or adult in the event of a crash.
Kid Safety Features In Your Car
If you’re having a car repair at Greenwood auto shop in Seattle, ask us about kid safety features. We can help you as to which type of restraint system is best for your child and how to install it properly.