FYI Magazine

Safety first with kids' car seats

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Motor vehicle accidents routinely cause for injuries and fatalities. Young riders, including infants and children under the age of 10, have bodies that are more fragile and therefore may be more susceptible to injury. They require adequate protection while riding in a car.

The importance of child safety seats in automobiles cannot be overstated. Despite how well safety seats protect children, Transport Canada says surveys show that more than one-third of children in Canada are not properly restrained when traveling in vehicles. In the United States, research indicates that among those who use car seats, 4 out of 5 seats are installed incorrectly.

Many people are under the assumption that once their child outgrows a forward-facing car seat that the youngster can simply sit in the car with a safety belt. Actually, once a child is around 40 pounds and is moved out of a 5-point-harness seat, he or she should go into a booster seat. These seats often have an attached headrest, which can be removed once the child is tall enough to use the adjustable headrest in the car itself.

In the U.S., most states have adopted the 8, 80 pounds, 4-foot-9 rule for booster seats. That means that children should remain in the booster seat until they are at least age 8, weigh 80 pounds and are 4-feet-9-inches tall. Booster seats work by raising children up to the height needed to wear a safety belt in the correct position -- hitting right at the shoulder with the lap belt over the hips, not the stomach. Transport Canada says to check with the province in which you live for particular rules on booster seats, but as long as the child meets the height and weight requirements for the seat, it is safe to keep him or her in the seat as long as possible.

Once children outgrow the booster seat and they are tall enough to have the vehicle's safety belt fit correctly, remove the booster seat. Children ages 12 and under should always ride in the rear of the car where it is safer.

Here are some other guidelines to consider when dealing with child car seats.

* The seat should be securely latched in the car so that it does not move more than one inch in either direction.

* The harness should be taut so that you cannot pinch the fabric.

* A rear-facing infant seat should be at a 45-degree angle in the car.

* Do not move a child to forward facing until he or she has reached age 1 and weighs 20 pounds or more. Some experts now advise waiting until the child is 2.

* Read the instruction on the seats but also use common sense. If the child does not properly fit into the seat, (i.e. his or her shoulders are too tall for the harness straps) it could be time to upgrade to a bigger seat, even if the weight limit hasn't been reached on the current seat. FC11A401

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