Car Seat Safety

About 9 years ago, I started researching car seats. Ice Princess was starting to outgrow her infant seat and it was time to move her into a convertible seat. I found this great web forum on Parentsplace, an i-village wbesite that was all about car seats. The parents and car seat techs there were VERY helpful. Before long I was hooked! I clearly remember the day we purchased Ice Princess' car seat. We got it home and installed it. Dave was less then happy with me, because I was being very picky about this installation. I think it took us over a 1/2 hour to install that thing! He was NOT happy with me and at that point was not buying into my new obsession. :-) Before long, he was ALMOST obsessed as I was!

Anyone who knows me knows I am still pretty particular about my kids being in seats. My kids aren't babies anymore but 2 of them still need seats. By Utah law(as of May 2008), children are required to be in a booster seat until they are 8 years old, but age should never be the deciding factor. A child should not move out of a booster seat until they pass the 5 step test. Speedracer is 7 Ice Princess is 10 and they both still rides in booster seats. Booster seats will be in our cars unti they both pass this test.

Booster Seat 5-Step Test

Did you know most kids need to ride in a booster seat from about age 4 until at least age 8?
If your child isn’t using a booster, try this simple test the next time you ride together in the car.



1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?



If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to ride safely in the car. Kids like boosters because they are more comfortable, too!



Before they moved into booster seats, they rode in 5 point harnessed seats. When they outgrew their infant seats, they moved into convertible seats. A convertible car seat can be used rear facing and forward facing. There are many different convertible seats on the market, but my youngest son used a Britax Marathon convertible seat until he was over 6! He did use a booster starting at 5, but I ended up moving him back into his Britax seat so I could keep him harnessed longer. He outgrew that seat by height when we was 6 1/2 years old. The most important thing about convertible seats is finding one that fits your car, your child and your budget the best. Always choose one that will allow you to keep them rear facing the longest. Rear-facing is the safest way for a child to travel, so the longer you keep them rear-facing, the better!



After they are too big to rear face, it is important to keep them harnessed as long as possible. Some parents think if a child outgrows a convertible seat, they are ready for a booster seat. That's not always the case. Many kids will outgrow a standard convertible before they are 4 and 40 pounds. Most children are not mature enough before the age of 4 to ride without a harness. Heck, the reason I moved my youngest back into his 5 point harness was because he was having a hard time sitting correctly in his booster seat. He was 6 at the time! The best rule of thumb is to keep your child harnessed as long as you possibly can.



Our children are the best gift given to us... do all you can to keep them safe! If you are ever unsure of what type of seat your child(grandchild, niece/nephew, ect) should be in or if you are wondering if you have the seat installed correctly, please contact your nearest fitting station. There will be certified car seat techs who can help you.

The National Highway Safety and Traffic Association(NHTSA) can help you find a fitting station. Follow this lik for more information!

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm