Best, Safest Children's Car Seat
Increase Your Child's Safety in Vehicles
Looking for the best car seat for a child? Find out which child's restraint is safest and how to further improve the safety of children's car seats.
The simplest answer to the question, "What is the best car seat for my child?" is to say that the best car seat is one that is installed correctly and used properly every single time. The best child car restraint can vary based upon the needs of the family and personal preference. However, there are many things all parents can do to further increase their child's safety in their vehicle.
Child Car Safety - a Reason for Concern
Injuries sustained during vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death among children in the United States (CDC 2006). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that an average of 4 deaths and 556 injuries occur each day (NHTSA 2006b). Even more troubling, NHTSA found that 72% of 3,500 observed child vehicle restraints were being used incorrectly and in the event of an accident would be expected to increase the child's risk of injury. NHTSA offers some peace of mind to these statistics. They estimate that properly used child safety seats lower children's risk of death by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers aged 1-4. Parents can further enhance the safety of their child's seat by using the following guidelines.
Ways to Improve the Performance of Child Restraints
- Only use approved child restraints. All current car seats meet the federal guidelines where they are sold. Choose a seat that best fits the child, the vehicle, and the budget of the family.
- Read both the vehicle manual and the car seat manual thoroughly. Install exactly as directed. Otherwise it may not perform as intended, and it risks violating the warranty.
- Follow at least the minimum car seat law. Strongly consider the advice of the American Academy of Pediatrics and stay rear-facing and harnessing for as long as the seat's manual specifies. The AAP's Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention has called for car seat manufacturer's to develop restraints that would accommodate children to stay rear-facing up to age 4 or up to 45 pounds. This stems from overwhelming evidence on how dramatically rear-facing seats reduce risk of death and injury. Currently, many rear-facing seats can go up to 33 - 35 pounds. There are forward-facing youth car seats, like the Britax Regent, which harness children up to 80 pounds.
- Be sure the seat is installed tightly. Only limited movement is acceptable.
- Keep the harness snug and close to the body at all times. Do not use heavy coats or blankets underneath the harness. Place coats or blankets over top the harness to avoid coat compression. In some unfortunate instances, children have been ejected from the seat in an accident because the harness became slack overtop bulky clothing.
- Check the expiration date. Car seats do expire. Because of the varying temperatures within the vehicle and extended use, after time hairline fractures can occur within the structure. Car seats are only tested and approved for a certain period of time. Most expire after 6 years. Keep in mind that the expiration dates begin the day the seat is manufactured, not the purchase date. While purchasing car seats on sale might be a deal, it could be that the clock started ticking on the car seats life for more than a year.
- Only use used car seats if its history is known and confirmed. It is imperative to know the crash history, the expiration date, and recall history before using a used car seat. Even if the car seat appears to be in good condition, it is not always possible to see the structural wear of the car seat. Without having that information, the car seat should be considered unsafe.
- Only use approved aftermarket products. Aftermarket products are any products that are sold separately from the car seat. They include items such as belt positioning devices, tethers, toys, inserts, covers, and mirrors. Using these items may void your warranty and increase the child's risk of injury in a crash.
- Register the seat with the manufacturer in order to receive updates on problems and recalls.
- If involved in a moderate or severe auto accident, discontinue use of the seat. Some may be able to have insurance cover the cost, but persistence may be necessary. Letters from the pediatrician and the manufactured may be required.
Though families may each find a different "best" car seat, all parents can find some comfort in observing additional safety measures to help further reduce chance of injury and death.
For further reading:
For information on other car seat articles, refer to blog entry entitled Car Seat Article Index. Parents can access articles on specific recommendations for car seat carriers and convertible car seats at the index.
References:
American Academy of Pediatrics. Selecting and Using the Most Appropriate Car Safety Seats for Growing Children: Guidelines for Counseling Parents Committee on Injury and Poison Prevention. PEDIATRICS Vol. 109 No. 3 March 2002, pp. 550-553
Branch, Rebekah. Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician . Website. Accessed: 01/22/2008.
CDC. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (producer). 2006 Dec 8.
CPSafety. A non-profit organization dedicated to safely transporting children. Website Accessed 01/22/2008.
Department of Transportation (US), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Traffic Safety Facts 2005: Children. Washington (DC): NHTSA; 20066b.
