Car Safety!

Car safety is important to start teaching kids at a very young age. Today we want to discuss everything from keeping your infant safe in a car seat, to keeping your kids safe around cars!

Car Seats

Choosing a car seat can be a very overwhelming task, as there are so many out there. It is important to keep in mind that the best car seat is not necessarily the most expensive, it is the one that fits your child and your car the best. Two excellent resources to find out more information about car seats are: healthychildren.org and https://www.nhtsa.gov/parents-and-caregivers

Important facts for all car seats:

Be sure your child is within the weight and height requirements of the car seat
Keep kids rear facing until at least 2 years old and exceed the weight/height limitations of the car seat – rear facing is safest for young children.
Be sure all seats are installed correctly, whether using the LATCH system or the seat belt in the car. A Certified Child Safety Technician (CPST) can help you ensure your car seat is installed correctly, find one in your area here (https://cert.safekids.org/)
Don’t use a seat if you don’t know the seat’s history. If a seat has been in a significant accident it is likely not safe to use anymore.
It is important to register your car seat with the manufacturer so you are aware of any recalls.
Once kids are big enough to turn forward facing, keep them in their seats until they exceed the weight/height requirements
Then they will need a booster seat until they fit safely into an adult seatbelt (this is not usually to age 10-11 when they are at least 4’9”).

Seatbelts

Most kids fit into a seatbelt when they are about 4’9” tall (usually this is around 10-11 years old). They should always use the lap and shoulder belt, remind kids not to put the shoulder belt behind their back or under their arm. The lap belt should fit across their upper thighs, not their stomach and the shoulder belt should be across the chest and shoulder, not the neck. Kids should be able to sit comfortably with their knees bent over the seat without slouching with their backs against the back rest.

There are products that say they help seatbelts fit better, these should not be used as they are not regulated and may be dangerous. Using the correctly fitting seat is the best way to keep your children safe in the car.

All kids should be in the backseat until they are at least 13 years old. This is because a child’s skeleton is not as solid as an adults, and the seatbelt and airbags can cause significant injury to a child younger than 13. While airbags are designed to keep teenagers and adults safe they can be very dangerous to children. The middle seat in the back is the safest. Studies have shown that children older than 13 have the same risk of injury as an adult in the front seat.

Car Safety

Here are a few reminders about other things to teach children when they are in driveways or around cars.

Never play in the car, keep doors locked and keys away from children. Talk to kids about the dangers of playing in the car (getting stuck and overheating, accidentally putting the car in gear, etc.)
Check around the car before leaving the driveway, it is a good idea to have a safe place kids go whenever a car needs to move and they are playing, be sure this place is somewhere the driver can see them.
Always hold young children’s hands in parking lots, driveways, crossing streets, and when putting them in or out of the car
Discuss with children the dangers of playing in the trunk of the car, if a child is missing check the trunk and swimming pools first. Trunks usually have poor ventilation and can get very hot very quickly.

Teaching children safety around vehicles begins at a young age. Talk to your child’s pediatrician if you have additional questions.

REFERENCES

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx

https://www.kckidsdoc.com/kc-kids-doc/back-seat-until-13-why-your-pre-teen-should-get-the-back-seat

https://www.safekids.org/safetytips/field_risks/and-around-cars