Although convenient, driving in a car can be dangerous. Here are some tips to make sure travelling in the car with your child is as safe as possible.
Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death among children. Using car seats and seatbelts appropriately for the specific age group can be lifesaving. These restraint systems are designed to reduce the risk of a child being ejected out of a car, can decrease injuries to the brain, neck and abdomen, and save lives.
There are some things to keep in mind when choosing a car seat:
Know the “history” of the car seat. Do not purchase used seats from thrift stores, hand me down seats, or ones that have been involved in a moderate or severe crash. Also check the “expiration date” on your seat. If you need help in getting access to a new car seat for your child, contact the Injury Free Coalition for Kids of Miami at 305-243-9080 or online at www.injuryfree.org
It is important to look at the label on your child’s car seat to check the weight and length limits. Depending on the child’s weight and height, different car seats are appropriate. Car seat and booster seats should always be in the back seat of the car. Here are some recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics about choosing the right car seat for your baby or child:
Infant/toddler (Birth-3 years)
Recommendation: Rear Facing Seat
Infants and toddlers should be placed in rear-facing car seat until they reach the highest weight or length allowed by their car seat manufacturer. The car seat should be placed in the middle back seat and should be strapped down according to the instruction.
Importance
Infants and toddlers’ heads are the heaviest part of their bodies. They also have a very fragile neck and spinal cord as their bones have not been fully formed. A rear` facing car seat will support your child’s head, neck, and spine during a collision reducing injury to those fragile areas.
General tips to avoid common mistakes
- Always put your infant in the rear facing car seat in the back of the car
- Shoulder straps should be adjusted to be at or below the baby’s shoulders
- Make sure the car seat is secured tightly in place- if it moves more than 1 inch in any direction tighten it down some more
- Top of chest clip should be at armpit level
- Do not put a blanket or any other item behind, underneath or between the child and the harness
- Remove bulky clothing before placing your child in the car seat because it can interfere with how tight the harness can be
- Most babies will outgrow the infant carrier type of seat after a few months and will need a new convertible or other type of rear facing seat.
Preschoolers (2-5 years)
Recommendation: Forward Facing Car Seats
After children have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit, they should use forward-facing car seats until the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat manufacturer.
Importance
As the child grows, they can be forward-facing, these car seats have a harness that limits the child forward movement during a crash and protects them from injuries.
General tips to avoid common mistakes
- Thread the shoulder straps at or just above the child’s shoulder.
- Straps should lie flat without twisting.
- Top chest clip should be at armpit level.
- Once the top of your child’s ear reaches the top of the seat they can be switched to a booster seat.
School- age Children (age 5-12 years)
Recommendation: Booster seats
All children who have outgrown the height or weight limit of their forward-facing car seats should use a booster seat in the back seat until the vehicle seat belt fit properly. This is usually when the child is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall.
Importance
Research shows that using belt position booster seats lowers the risk of injury to children as compared to the use of seat belt alone. As the child outgrow the forward-facing car seat it is important to use a booster seat.
General tips to avoid common mistakes
- Make sure the lap belt lies low across the child upper thigh below the hip bone
- Shoulder belt should always cross the chest, resting snuggly on the shoulder
- Remember the Rhyme “Under the arm, seatbelt cause harm. Behind the back safety will lack” [4]
Older Children
Recommendation: Seat belts
All children who can fit the vehicle seat belt properly and are below 13 years of age should be seated in the back seat area wearing a seat belt.
Importance
Children less than 13 should be in the back seat because airbags are designed to protect teenagers and adults. They can cause face and brain injury to younger children.
General tips to avoid common mistakes
- Shoulder belt should lie across the child’s chest and shoulder
- Lap belt should be across the thigh below the hip bone
- Never allow children to share seatbelts
- Lead by example, wear your seatbelts at all times when riding in the car!
These recommendations are based on well-vetted studies that show a decrease in fatality risk when car seats are used appropriately. Practicing these recommendations is the best approach to protect your child during a car crash. For more information about passenger safety for children, visit www.healthychildren.org. You can also contact the Injury Free Coalition for Kids, a Program of the Children’s Trust, at 305-243-9080 or online at www.injuryfree.org to make an appointment with a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician to learn more about how to keep your child safe in the car.
Resources
- “Car Seats and Booster Seats.” NHTSA, www.nhtsa.gov
- “Car Seats: Information for Families.” HealthyChildren.org, www.healthychildren.org
- “AAP Updates Car Safety Seat Recommendations for Children.” AAFP Home, 21 Sept. 2018, www.aafp.org
- The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Car Seat Safety: 4- to 8-Year-Old Children.” Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 31 Mar. 2014, www.chop.edu
