Eva Alessia, D.O.
Tomorrow is National Seat Check Saturday. More than 80 percent of car seats are installed incorrectly. Some of the most common questions pediatricians get during an office visit are about car seats. Here are some tips to help you understand the basics of keeping kids safe in the car.
- The safest place for car seat safety is in the back seat for all children less than 13 years of age
- NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a car
- All children less than 2 years of age should be in a rear-facing seat or until the child reaches the maximum height and weight requirement recommended by the car seat’s manufacturer
- If the child has outgrown the rear-facing seat, the child should move to a forward-facing seat with a harness
- If the child has outgrown the forward-facing seat with a harness, the child should move to a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt
- A child outgrows the booster seat with lap and shoulder belt when he/she is 4’9” tall and between 8 and 12 years of age
- There are special car seats for preemies and other populations
- A car seat should not be used if: there are visible cracks, no label with date of manufacture and model number, missing parts or instructions, recalled seats, or involved in a car crash
- Most car seats expire after six yeas from the date of manufacture
Helpful resources for car seat safety:
Certified Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)
877-366-8154 or http://cert.safekids.org/
Car seat inspection stations
866-732-8243
NHTSA vehicle safety hotline
888-327-4236
www.buckleupillinois.org
www.healthychildren.org