You don’t need to bother with a car seat to drive quickly to the store, right? Stirring with straps annoys your tired child and takes more time. But some possible tantrums are worth it. EMS workers see firsthand what happens when someone underestimates the critical importance of car seats.
Unfortunately, statistics continue to emphasize the importance of safety seats. According to a study by the Journal of Pediatrics that analyzes “Pediatric mortality due to car accidents in the United States,” 43% of deaths were due to incorrect restrictions or not using a safety seat system.
A 1930s Convenience to 1980s Necessity
The first best car seats in the 1930s and 1940s were actually designed to keep children still so as not to distract the driver. The raised seats were also meant to give children a better view of the outside, so they could enjoy the ride.
By 1968, General Motors began addressing security. His first car seats were little more than plastic chairs equipped with pillows. There was still a lot of time for everyone to use car seats.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had not yet implemented crash tests for its 1971 car seat regulations. The safety of passenger children was finally standardized in 1985. The corresponding seats and laws continue to evolve.
Choosing the Proper Car Seat
Anyone who has had a baby knows that they should hold their head properly. Therefore, babies obviously cannot be supported against improvised restraint systems in the car.
They have lateral cushioning for the head and 5-point harnesses that hold the hips, shoulders and between the legs. Since the seat belts and airbags of the vehicle are designed to protect an adult body, a child seat is necessary to accommodate the still fragile spinal cord of a child.
Depending on the size and weight of a child, this usually lasts until the interpolation years. The guidelines for choosing the right car seat may vary according to state laws, but are generally as follows:
- Backward oriented: also known as baby-only seats, they are for children up to 1 year or 20 pounds
- Front: generally used until 6-8 years and / or 40 pounds
- Convertible: switch from back to front
- Booster: without backrest, or with high backrest for additional neck support, these seats are for children from 8 to 12 years old, up to 4 ‘9 “tall and weigh 80 pounds
- Combination: switch from forward to reinforcement
- All in one: a system that converts from the back to the front in a reinforcement
Use the safety seats mentioned above only in the back seat. If a regular seat belt touches your child’s face or neck or puts pressure on his stomach, then he or she is not ready to stop using a booster seat.
Installing a Car Seat
Once you determine the correct type of car seat for your child, refer to the manuals for the seat itself and for your car. As with helmets, car seats can suffer imperceptible damage, so buy new ones instead of used ones. Register your car seat with the NHTSA, in case of warning or product recall.
Install the comfortable car seat even before your baby is born. Hospitals have different requirements regarding back-facing seats versus convertibles. Although it seems optimal to look at the car seat in the rear passenger position while driving, the center is the best.
This further reduces injuries from side impact crashes. If you need more than one car seat, place the smaller child in the center, unless the seats must be on each side to fit properly. Also, choose the side closest to the pavement, based on parking preferences, to minimize the door being open to the street.
Make sure the car seat belts and the LATCH of the car seat (lower anchors and child straps) are screwed through the correct slots. Follow the instructions (illustrated on many models) to:
