Are you sure your car seat is totally safe?

Are you sure your car seat is totally safe? It is estimated that 7 out of 10 car seats are installed incorrectly and even more do not have the child restrained properly. If you are unsure, see below for some great tips to ensure your child is as safe as possible and for some great car seat options if you are ready for a new one!

If your child is an infant, he should be in an infant seat or a rear-facing convertible seat until he is BOTH 1 year old and 20 lbs and then should remain rear-facing as long as he fits in the seat. A great option for an infant seat is the primo viaggio seen here.

It will hold your baby until he is 30 lbs or 30 inches long and is a breeze to install. We love it because of the superior side impact protection and ease of getting the harness exactly right! See below for more tips on infant car seat safety.

Place the harnesses in your rear-facing seat in slots that are at or below your baby's shoulders
Ensure that the harness is snug and that the harness clip is positioned at the mid-chest level.
Make sure the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle.
Never place a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active front passenger air bag. If the air bag inflates, it will hit the back of the car safety seat, right where your baby's head is, and could cause serious injury or death.
Be sure you know what kind of seat belts your vehicle has. Some seat belts need locking clips to keep the belt locked into position. Locking clips come with most new car safety seats. If you're not sure, check the owner's manual that came with your vehicle.
Locking clips are not needed in most newer vehicles, and some seats have built-in lock-offs to lock the belt.
If you are using a convertible seat in the rear-facing position, make sure the seat belt is routed through the correct belt path. Check the instructions that came with the car safety seat to be sure.
If your vehicle was made after 2002, it may come with the LATCH system, which is used to secure car safety seats.
Make sure the seat is at the correct angle so your infant's head does not flop forward. Many seats have angle indicators or adjusters that can help prevent this. If your seat does not have an angle adjuster, tilt the car safety seat back by putting a rolled towel or other firm padding (such as a pool noodle) under the base near the point where the back and bottom of the vehicle seat meet.
Be sure the car safety seat is installed tightly. If you can move the seat at the belt path more than an inch side to side or front to back, it's not tight enough.

Toddlers should ride forward facing with a full harness as long as possible. A great seat that allows you to do this up to 70lbs is the Recaro ProRide seen here. It is made by the manufacturer of race car seats...so they know a heap about safety and surviving crashes. We love that it looks cool, is super safe and is very comfortable for the child.

Make sure the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle and that the harness fits the child snugly.

To switch a convertible seat from rear-facing to forward-facing

Move the shoulder straps to the slots that are at or above your child's shoulders. On some convertible seats, the top harness slots must be used when facing forward. Check the instructions that came with the seat to be sure.
You may have to adjust the recline angle of the seat. Check the instructions to be sure.
Make sure the seat belt runs through the forward-facing belt path. When making these changes, always follow the car safety seat instructions.
If your vehicle was made after 2002, it should come with the LATCH system, which is used to secure car safety seats.

A tether is a strap that attaches to the top of a car safety seat and to an anchor point in your vehicle (see your vehicle owner's manual to find where the tether anchors are in your vehicle). Tethers give important extra protection by keeping the car safety seat and the child's head from moving too far forward in a crash or sudden stop. All new cars, minivans, and light trucks have been required to have tether anchors since September 2000. New forward-facing car safety seats come with tethers. For older seats, or if your tether is missing, tether kits are available. Check with the car safety seat manufacturer to find out how you can get a tether if your seat does not have one.

Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car safety seats. It is best for children to ride in a seat with a harness as long as possible, at least

to 4 years of age. If your child outgrows his seat before reaching 4 years of age, consider using a seat with a harness approved for higher weights and heights such as the Recaro ProSport seen here. This seat is a great way to save money because it is truly two seats in one. It has a 5 point harness up to 90 lbs and then functions as a booster up to 120lbs. This seat has the look and safety we have grown to love with Recaro. You have to see it to truly appreciate it!

A child has outgrown his forward-facing seat when any one of the following is true:

He reaches the top weight or height allowed for his seat with a harness. (These limits are listed on the seat and also included in the instruction booklet.)
His shoulders are above the top harness slots.
His ears have reached the top of the seat.

Booster seats are designed to raise the child up so that the lap and shoulder seat belts fit properly. They do not come with harness straps but are used with the lap and shoulder seat belts in your vehicle, the same way an adult rides. Booster seats should be used until your child can correctly fit in lap and shoulder seat belts(which is a height of 4 feet 9 inches!). Booster seats typically include a plastic clip or guide to help ensure the correct use of the vehicle lap and shoulder belts. See the instruction booklet that came with the booster seat for directions on how to use the guide or clip.

If you are unsure of the safety of your car seat, remember you can check out your installation at any fire station. If you need a new seat, come see us!

See you soon,
your friends at swaddle