Taking Care of the Little Ones

As years have gone by, car seat technology has changed and so has knowledge of exactly what can happen to children’s bodies in an accident. Unlike decades ago, children are remaining in car seats well-past their toddler years. But, the latest statistics from the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) shows there are 10’s of thousands of fatal car accidents each year in the United States and that over one third of those fatal accidents had occupants that included children. Are we doing enough to protect our little ones?

Minnesota Child Passenger Safety and Booster Seat Law

A child who is both under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches is required to be fastened in a child safety seat or booster seat that meets federal safety standards. Under this law, a child cannot use a seat belt alone until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall — whichever comes first. It is recommended to keep a child in a booster based on their height, rather than their age. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, three out of four child seats are used incorrectly.

Here are most common mistakes to avoid:

• Turning a child from a rear-facing safety seat to a forward-facing safety seat too soon. Your child should be rear-facing until at least the age of two or they have reached the maximum size for their infant or car seat. The requirements are not “either/or” but “and”.
• The Safety seat is not secured tight enough — should not shift more than one inch side-to-side or out from the seat. After the seat is buckled into the back seat of your vehicle, you should not be able to move it more than an inch in any direction. If you can, it isn’t tight enough. Should you be involved in an accident, your child’s seat could fly forward.
• Harness on the child is not tight enough — if you can pinch harness material, it’s too loose. Buckle your child into the seat and test the harness. It should be tight enough that you cannot pinch the fabric of the straps between your fingers.
• Retainer clip is up too high or too low — should be at the child’s armpit level. The retainer clip ensures that the straps are positioned correctly. Make sure the clip is resting across your little one’s breastbone at armpit level.
• The child is in the wrong safety seat — don’t rush your child into a seat belt.
• Recalled Seats — if the seat you purchased has been recalled, discontinue its use immediately. Millions of safety seats have been recalled over the years. You can find a list of them on the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) site.
• No Seat — obviously, this is one mistake to avoid. Never let your child ride in your car or the car of anyone else without being strapped in a car seat. Not once. Not ever.