Safety is the primary reason it is law in every U.S. state for children under four years old to ride in a car seat while in an automobile. Many states also require a booster seat for older children as well. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that car crashes are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 6. They plead for proper use of car seats to help prevent these deaths.
Harnesses
Most car seats now come with an adjustable five-point harness system, just as they use in racing cars. This means there are two straps that come over the shoulders, two for the thighs and a crotch strap. A five-point harness system enables the impact of an accident to be spread out more evenly across the body, and the crotch strap specifically prevents the child from sliding out of the harness. This helps to keep the child in place during an accident versus being whipped around.
Reduction in Child Deaths
As the number of children in properly installed child seats goes up, the number of child deaths in automobile accidents goes down. If properly used, car seats are estimated to reduce child fatalities by 71 percent. Unfortunately, most car seats are not installed properly, and to address this issue the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is working to establish a uniform system called LATCH, or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. Car manufacturers are working this system into their models to meet these new standards.
Injury Reduction
If properly used, car seats are estimated to reduce injuries to children by 67 percent. Car seats prevent children from being tossed around in the car into instrument panels or other fixed objects. They also prevent children from being ejected through an open or broken window.
Fit
Car seats are specifically designed to fit the smaller bodies of children with adjustable parts that can be made as the child grows. This helps restrain the child without applying dangerous forces to the body. A standard lap and shoulder belt designed for adults can actually hurt a child further or enable her to easily slip out of the restraint.
Reclining
Most child seats offer reclining adjustments and recline indicator levels. The indicator levels let you know when you have the car seat reclined properly for an infant, to enable open airways and prevent his head from falling forward while sleeping. Reclining adjustments also provide the benefit of enabling a child to nap lying down.
