TIP #1: TRAVELING SAFELY
WITH CHILDREN: THE BASICS
- Everybody needs a child safety seat,
booster seat, or safety belt!
- There must be one safety belt for each person. Buckling
two people, even children, into one belt could
injure both.
- People who are not buckled up can be thrown from
the car or around inside the car, and seriously hurt themselves or
others.
- Never hold a child on your lap! You could crush him/her in a crash,
or the child may be torn from your arms.
- Never ride in the cargo area of a station wagon, van, or pickup! Anyone
riding in the cargo area could
be thrown out and severely injured or
killed.
- No one seat is 'best', The 'best' child safety seat
is the one that fits your child and can be installed correctly.
- Children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained in back.
CHOOSING
AND USING THE CORRECT SEAT
New child safety seats and booster seats
come with registration cards. Be sure to register your new seat so you
will be notified if there is a recall. If you don't have a card, call
the safety seat manufacturer.
AGE:
|
Birth to 1 year |
WEIGHT: |
Up to 35 pounds |
TYPE OF SEAT: |
Infant-only (A) or Rear-facing Convertible
(B) |
DIRECTION TO FACE: |
Infants should ride rear-facing to at least
1 year of age AND at least 20 pounds, longer if possible. The seat
should be at a 30-45 degree angle to keep the child's head from
falling forward. Do not tip it too far back or the child could
come out of the seat in a crash. |
NOTE: |
Infants who outgrow a smaller infant-only
seat before 1 year of age should ride rear-facing in a child safety
seat with a higher rear-facing weight limit (over 22 pounds). |
|
|
AGE:
|
Over 1 year to 4 years old |
WEIGHT: |
Over 20 pounds, up to 40 pounds |
TYPE OF SEAT: |
Convertible or Forward-Facing Only seat |
DIRECTION TO FACE: |
A child over 1 year of age AND over 20 pounds
may ride facing forward. Use the upright position or the position
recommended by
the manufacturer. |
NOTE: |
Keep the child in a child safety seat with
a full harness as long as possible, preferably until 4 years old.
For children 40 pounds or more who are too young or too active
to sit still in a booster seat, or if a vehicle has only lap belts,
look for child restraints with harnesses labeled for use over 40
pounds. |
|
|
AGE:
|
4 to 8 years old |
WEIGHT: |
Over 40 pounds |
TYPE OF SEAT: |
Belt-positioning Booster Seat, backless
(D) or high-back (C) |
DIRECTION TO FACE: |
Forward-Facing |
NOTE: |
All children who have outgrown child safety
seats should be properly restrained in booster seats until they
are at least 8 years old, unless they are 4' 9" tall. |
WARNING: The back seat is the safest place
in a crash. Children age 12 and under should ride properly restrained
in back. Infants riding rear-facing must NEVER be placed in front
of an airbag. |
IS THE CHILD SAFETY SEAT IN THE VEHICLE THE RIGHT WAY?
- Each
child safety seat needs a safety belt or LATCH to hold it in place.
LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) is a system designed
to make safety seat installation easier.
- Check the safety seat instructions
and the vehicle owner's manual for tips on using the safety belts
or LATCH to install a safety seat (E).
- If using safety belts, put the
vehicle safety belt through the correct belt path on the child safety
seat (see F below). Check the child safety seat instructions or look
for labels on the seat that mark the safety belt path. Use the correct
belt path for the direction the safety seat is facing.
- The child safety
seat must stay tight at all times. Check for tight fit by holding
the seat at the belt path and by pulling the seat side to side and
forward. The child safety seat should not move more than one inch sideways
or toward the front of the vehicle.
IS THE HARNESS POSITIONED THE RIGHT
WAY AND BUCKLED SNUGLY ON THE CHILD?
- The harness straps must fit
on strong parts of the body: the shoulders and hips.
- Use the correct
slots for the harness (F). Using the wrong slots can cause serious
injury. Check the manufacturer's instructions for the correct placement
of the harness straps.
- Keep straps on the child's shoulders,
not arms. Keep straps flat on the child's shoulders and snug enough
to keep the child from moving forward.
- Place the harness retainer
clip at armpit level (F).
WHEN IS A CHILD
READY FOR THE ADULT SAFETY BELT?
- Until age 8, most children have not
developed strong hipbones, and their legs and body are too short
to allow for proper fit of a safety belt. Safety belts are designed
for adults.
- To be able to fit in a safety belt, a child must:
- Be tall enough to
sit without slouching,
- Keep his/her back against the vehicle seat
back,
- Keep his/her knees completely bent over
the edge of the seat,
- Keep his/her feet flat on the floor, and
- Be
able to stay comfortably seated this way.
- The lap belt must fit
low and tight across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should
rest over the center of the shoulder and across the chest (G).
- Never
put the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the child's
back. This can cause severe internal injuries in a crash. If the safety
belt does not fit properly the child should use a belt-positioning
booster seat.
- Always check belt fit on the child in every vehicle. A
belt-positioning booster seat may be needed in some vehicles and
not in others.
ALWAYS read and follow the child safety seat instructions and the
vehicle owner's manual! |
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For more information, contact the DOT Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT
(1-888-327-4236) or www.nhtsa.dot.gov
Illustrations from Indiana University School of Medicine |
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