According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traffic accidents are responsible for more deaths in children than any other cause. Fortunately, children can be much safer in vehicles when they are properly restrained. Depending on the age of your child, using the appropriate child safety restraint can reduce her risk of death in a motor vehicle accident by 54 to 71 percent.
Infants
Babies under one year of age or under 20 lbs. must ride in rear-facing car seats, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Many parents opt to use infant-only car seats, consisting of a removable infant seat which attaches to a base that remains installed in the vehicle. Once the baby outgrows the infant seat by height or by weight, he should sit in a five-point harness convertible car seat in the rear-facing position. Car-Safety.org suggests keeping your baby in the rear-facing position until he outgrows the seat's rear-facing weight or height capacity. Many seats can hold a child up to 30 or 35 lbs in the rear-facing position.
Toddlers
Once your child meets the requirements to graduate from the rear-facing seat and no longer fits in the rear-facing position, turn your toddler's convertible car seat to the front-facing position. Children should sit in a five-point harness seat until they are at least 4 years of age and mature enough to sit in a booster seat. Consider purchasing a five-point harness seat that holds children up to 65 lbs. to be sure that the seat will continue to fit your child until she is ready to graduate to the next car seat.
Older Children
Once a child outgrows his harness car seat, he should sit in a booster seat. Available in high-back and low-back varieties, the booster seat will boost your child up so that the adult seat belt fits him correctly. You must use a shoulder and lap belt with a booster seat. Children should sit in a booster seat in the car until the seat belt fits them well without it. For most children, this will be when they are about 4'9" tall, and between the ages of 8 and 12.
Safety Considerations
Do not buy a used car seat unless you know that it is not expired, has not been recalled and that it has not been in an accident. It is always best to buy a new seat, however. Try to buy a car seat only after you have made sure that it will fit in your car. Not every car seat will fit in every vehicle. Always place your child in the back seat of your vehicle. Never place a child in a rear-facing seat in the passenger seat of a car with automatic air bags. If you must place a child in a forward-facing seat in the front seat of a car with air bags, Car-Safety.org recommends pushing the seat back as far as it will go and turning off the airbag if possible. Only consider using the front seat for a child under 12 if there is no other seat available in the vehicle. If you are not sure that your car seat is installed properly, have it checked by a car seat technician. See Resources for more information.
