Car Seat Safety Tips from a CPST Expert!

Today, I'm giving over my blog to my friend, Sarah as part of my ongoing Expert Guest Blogger series.  She's a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and Mommy to cutie-pie William from Olivia's class at daycare.  Sarah is here to share some great information about car seat safety.

Hello readers!  Let me introduce myself.  My name is Sarah and I am a car seat freak.  I have a passion for making sure that children are safely riding in motor vehicles.  2 years ago I became a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) thru Safe Kids.  I had been working at a large, national retailer of baby items for almost 16 years and felt it was a certification that would allow me to save lives and help parents make the best decisions they could about their child’s travel routine.  
 

James, William & Sarah - photo courtesy of Bergeron Studios

The final straw that pushed me to become a certified technician was seeing my best friend’s daughter, a cancer patient at the age of 2, improperly restrained in the vehicle.  With all of the travel that they did while their daughter battled cancer, I was fearful that she would be seriously hurt or killed in a car accident because she was not properly restrained.  I signed up for the next available class to become a CPST!

As a CPST, I always get asked great questions about child restraint use.  I have put together what I feel are the top 6 tips I tend to give out when having a conversation about child restraint use.

 

Top 6 Tips for safe travel in a motor vehicle

1. Select an appropriate child restraint
2. Ensure that your child restraint is CORRECTLY INSTALLED
3. Ensure that you are CORRECTLY USING your child restraint
4. Wear appropriate clothing in the child restraint
5. Register your child restraint/check for recalls and expiration dates
6. Never leave a child (or pet) unattended in or around vehicles

Select an Appropriate Child Restraint

William shows off his Correct Chest Clip Placement

Selecting the appropriate child restraint is crucial for your child’s safety.  One of the most frequently asked questions I am asked involves the age of when a child can be forward facing.  The best answer I can give to those questions is that the child should remain rear facing until they reach the upper limits of the rear facing capabilities of the selected child restraint, at minimum age 2.  There are many different car seats on the market.  Look for a seat that has a high height and weight limit in the rear facing functionality, not just forward facing.

Ensure that Your Child Restraint is CORRECTLY INSTALLED

One of the top misconceptions about child restraints is that you need to spend an arm and a leg to get a quality seat.  No matter how much you spend, if it is not installed correctly it will not protect your child.  Always read the manual for the child restraint as well as the owner’s manual for your vehicle before installing the child restraint.  Do not assume that your friend or family member has installed a seat correctly for you either.  8 of 10 child restraints are installed incorrectly.  8 of 10!  Always have your installation checked by a currently certified CPST in your area (usually it is FREE, but donations are nice).  To find a CPST in your area call your local police or fire department or check with your pediatrician.

Ensure that you are CORRECTLY USING Your Child Restraint

Correct Tightness

Now that you have your child restraint installed correctly, you need to make sure you are using it correctly.  A few points to note:    

     1. Rear facing children should have the shoulder strap go thru the slot that is at or just below the shoulder; forward facing children should have the shoulder strap placed at or above their shoulder.   

     2. Children should remain in a 5 point harness until they outgrow the upper limits of the 5 point harness on their child restraint.  Once they meet that point, they should remain in some sort of child restraint until he or she is 4’9” tall.  

Too Loose

     3. Ensure that the 5 point harness has been properly tightened by using the “pinch test”.  Once you tighten the 5 point harness pinch the webbing on the child’s chest.  If you can pinch the webbing between your fingers, keep tightening it!  Extra slack, even slight slack, allows the child to be tossed around more during a crash and could actually allow your child to be ejected from the child restraint! 

     4.  Make sure the chest clip is at the armpit level of your child.  It is a chest clip, not a belly clip!  If the chest clip is too low your child could come out of the 5 point harness (see the image at the top of this post).

Wear Appropriate Clothing in the Child Restraint

As cold as it can be up here in the North (normally!), many children are bundled up in puffy winter coats.  Although these coats are wonderful for keeping the child warm while they play outside, they are not safe to wear in a child restraint.  Caregivers tighten down the 5 point harness on these coats, but there is still too much space under that jacket.  

During a crash, a puffy coat will be compressed by the harness, and can become loose enough for a child to be ejected

During a crash, the 5 point harness compresses the air in the puffy jacket allowing the 5 point harness to become very loose!  Because of this, the child can become ejected from the child restraint.  General rule of thumb is to not have anything thicker than a sweatshirt or fleece jacket on your child while in a child restraint.  Use that puffy jacket like a “Snuggie” or keep a blanket in the car to cover up on chilly days.

Register your Child Restraint/ & Check for Recalls and Expiration Dates

Did you know that every new child restraint comes with a registration card?  Fill it out and send it in to the manufacturer!  If your child restraint is recalled you will be notified.  Also, be sure to know when your child restraint expires and frequently check for recalls.  You can find expiration information in the owner’s manual and you can find recall information on the manufacturer’s website or by calling the manufacturer’s customer service phone number.

Never Leave a Child (or pet) Unattended in or Around Vehicles

Never ever leave a child unattended in or around a car.  Temperature extremes occur extremely quickly.  Many children (and pets) die every year from being in hot and cold cars.  If you are forgetful put something important in the back seat so you see the child before you head into that store.  Don’t allow children to play around/in vehicles.  Children are often too small to be seen until it is too late. 

Hopefully this post encourages caregivers to check out the status of their child restraint’s recall and expiration status as well as ensuring proper installation and use.  Make an appointment with your local CPST so you can learn how to properly use your child restraint.  Remember, the best restraint for your child is one that properly fits the child and one that you will install and use correctly EACH TIME you get in the car. 

Thank you so much, Sarah, for all those great tips - I'm off to double check my cars seats, but before I go, I wanted to let you know about this cool contest...

21st Century Insurance is sponsoring a giveaway to give the Baby on Board sign a makeover?  Every week, January 25, 2012 through March 15, 2013, 21st Century will be giving away a car seat for your infant or toddler – winners can choose their preference. The winner will be selected based on the most creative Baby On Board sign. Plus, all entries will be entered into a grand prize drawing for a $10,000 baby room makeover!

To submit your entry email a photo to contest@21st.com, of your Baby on Board sign with 50 words or less describing how you created it and then submit this form. All entries must be received by March 15, 2013 11:59PM EST.  Visit the 21st Century Insurance Baby on Board page for full giveaway rules and information.

Special thanks to my friend Mindi at Simply Stavish for her post about this contest!