Time to Re/Check your Carseat

This is for all parents, (new and seasoned), grandparents or any others whom transport children, to know/review.  As a parent, I sometimes forget to double check the installation of our carseats and positions of harnesses, etc.  For the safety of the child/ren in your life, please join me in taking time to re/check and consider the following: 

1. Securing your car seat - Properly installed carseats should not move more than an inch when you try shifting it from side to side and back to front. If it slips on the car upholstery, especially leather seats, put plastic mesh shelf liner under the seat for more grip.

2.  Harness straps - A missing harness clip or having it in the wrong position is a common carseat mistake.   If a harness is improperly set, your child is at risk of slipping or getting thrown out of their carseat!

Harness chest clip in wrong position:



Missing harness chest clip.  Only use a car seat that has a five point harness:

Rear-facing car seat - should be at or slightly below the infant's shoulders.

Front-facing toddlers - harness straps should be at or slightly above the toddler's shoulders.  If a harness is properly snug, you should not be able to insert more than one of your fingers behind it.

Harness clips in good position:

There is nothing wrong with letting your child nap in his car seat, just as long as he is safely and snugly strapped in:

3. The safest place for a car seat is in your vehicle's rear seat-never upfront near an air bag.
4.  For children less than 1 year old and not over 20 pounds, the car seat should face the rear of the vehicle and recline at an optimum 45-degree angle. If it doesn't angle properly, prop up the rear of the seat with a piece of a foam "noodle" pool toy or a rolled-up towel.
5.  When possible, buy new. Don't accept a hand-me-down with an unknown history or one that is more than six years old. Check for recalled models at http://www.nhtsa.gov/.
6.  Replace a car seat that has been involved in even a minor crash.
7.  Return the warranty card so you can be notified of a recall.

Proper car seat installation may be one of the most important safety measures a parent must perform to keep a child safe.