Child Passenger Safety

by Ronel Forbes

September 29, 2022

Children are much less likely to die or suffer serious injuries in a crash when they are properly secured in a child safety seat, booster seat, or safety belt. However, the poll indicated that 28% of parents were not using the suggested form of safety restraint for their child, and nearly 1/4 of children who used car seats did not use them every time.

Here is our full guide to car seat and child passenger safety to assist keep your child safe. Parents could appreciate the significance of car seat safety and discover how to take extra precautions for safety every time they go in the car.

Be aware of your child’s size and weight.

Contrary to popular belief, the type of car seat that should be used depends more on weight and height than on age. Keep your child rear-facing until they reach the maximum height and weight for the car seat. In order to keep kids rear-facing well into their first birthday, manufacturers are designing car seats.

The child not wanting to use it, the child being “too old” for the seat, or the seat being inconvenient were among the reasons parents gave in the research for not utilizing child safety seats. Regardless of the child’s age or attitude, it is imperative to adhere to suggested criteria when operating a car because safety is of the utmost importance.

The primary rule for child passenger safety is effective child restraint. If your child requires a car seat, booster seat, or seat belt, it will depend on their age, height, and weight.

Selecting the appropriate child passenger restraint

These child safety seat guidelines, which are based on recommendations from the Child Restraint Systems (CRS), can assist you in choosing the best child safety seat for your child at every stage.

Babies
Use a rear-facing child safety seat for your infant until they are 2 years old or until they reach the suitable weight and height maximum permitted by the seat manufacturer for the optimum protection.
Toddlers
Use a forward-facing child safety seat with a harness until your kid reaches the highest height and weight permitted by the seat manufacturer when they are 2 years old or older, or when they have outgrown the rear-facing child safety seat.
Age group 4 to 8
Use a belt-positioning booster seat while your child is outgrowing the requirements for a forward-facing child safety seat until the lap and shoulder belts are properly adjusted. When that occurs, the youngster is typically between the ages of 8 and 12 and at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
Older children
Under-13-year-old passengers should always sit in the back seat. Your youngster should utilize the lap and shoulder belts in the rear seat when they are between the ages of 8 and 12 and at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

Installing a car seat

You’ve thus discovered the ideal car seat. Now take a seat and read the owner’s manual as well as the manual for your car. And while your child’s health does depend on each step, do so with vigilance.

Statistics on kid safety seats show that when used and installed appropriately, car seats can reduce a child’s chance of a fatal injury by 71% to 82%. When utilizing a booster seat, children between the ages of 4 and 8 have a 45% lower risk of suffering a serious injury. Furthermore, the danger is 50% lower for older kids.

However, mounting car seats can be a little annoying, and since recommendations are always changing, it can be challenging to know if you’re doing it correctly. Here are some installation guidelines for car seats to reduce hassles and safeguard your priceless cargo.

Babies

Make sure the chest clip is at armpit level and that the straps are secure.
Ensure that the top tether is attached. For assistance with tether connections, consult the automobile and safety seat manuals.
To keep their airways clear, infants need to be somewhat reclined in their car seats, so make sure the angle is adjusted correctly.

Toddlers

Make sure the child’s shoulders are at or above the slot where the shoulder strap is put into the seat.

Age group 4 to 8

The child’s hips and shoulder should be covered by the seat belt in a flat fashion.

All seats

Make sure the fit is appropriate. A slack seat offers less protection during a collision. When not in use, keep seat belts fastened to prevent seats from becoming projectiles.
Implement the inch test. Verify that the car seat cannot be moved more than an inch in any direction. Pull firmly on the base at the seat belt path opening to test it.
Safeguard your youngster properly. To prevent pinching additional webbing at the shoulder, all clips and buckles should be attached and tightened.

Pleases read: CLEANING YOUR CAR’S INTERIOR

Using a DIY approach

Here are some suggestions to keep in mind:

In the back seat, all car seats must be properly strapped.
Once the seat is installed, you shouldn’t be able to move it at the belt path more than an inch in either direction. The seat belt or the car seat LATCH system can be used for this. For chairs facing forward, utilize the top tether at all times. Get more information on top tether car seats.
The chest clip needs to be at armpit level, and the harness straps need to be tight. Avoid putting bulky blankets or coats underneath the straps, and ensure sure they are not twisted.

Car Seats: Why Are They Important?

The safest approach to keep your children safe in a car is to use a car seat, often known as a child safety seat. Children are most frequently killed and injured in car accidents. Every place in the Philippines has made using a car seat a requirement because they save lives.

However, picking the right safety seat and utilizing it properly are essential to keeping your child safe. The greatest car seat is the one that is appropriate for both your vehicle and your child’s age, weight, and size.

Conclusion

Make sure you always drive safely, even if you already have a safety child passenger seat. Put your phone away, offer your kids a book or movie to keep them occupied, and always keep your eyes on the road because distracted driving is a primary cause of accidents.