When shopping for a new car seat, look for an affixed label stating that the seat meets or exceeds "Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213."

After buying a car seat, send the registration card back to the manufacturer. This way, you'll be notified if there is any product safety recall associated with the seat, a relatively common occurrence. Pay attention to car seat recalls, and keep your seat's model and serial number handy for quick reference.

Using car seats properly

Safety seats can protect your child from life-threatening injuries. However, these same devices also can inflict potentially serious harm unless used properly. According to the CDC, one study found that 72 percent of car seats are misused and increases children's risk of injury. Whenever possible, the safety seat should be placed in the back seat, preferably in the middle. This provides a buffer zone from the exterior of the car and from side air bags. Never put a rear-facing car seat in a front seat since an airbag hitting the back of the seat could cause serious injury or death.

Many car seats are not installed properly. It is important to read the installation instructions carefully and follow those guidelines. For rear-facing seats, proper alignment is critical. Most seats have an indicator line or device to tell you the seat is aligned at the right angle. Car seats are installed using either the car's safety belt or the lower anchors and tethers for children (LATCH) system found in most newer cars. Installation instructions will differ depending on which method is needed for your car so read the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Also, some older cars might need locking clips for the seat belts.