Keeping Kids Car-Safe

Most babies take their first car ride just a few days after they are born, when Mom and Dad transport their precious cargo from the hospital to home.

Before hitting the highway with your child, put protective safety measures in place. Initially, this involves purchasing and properly installing the right car safety seat. But this is just the beginning of what should become a lifetime of safe travel.

Each year, auto accidents claim the lives of more children in the United States than any other cause, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Half of these fatalities occur in children who are not using proper safety restraints. Children should be properly secured even for short drives, as accidents commonly occur close to home.

It is never OK to place a child on your lap while a car is in motion. Such moments of parent-child bonding (or to keep your tyke quiet) are not worth the risk of having your child crushed or thrown from the vehicle during an accident.

Choosing the right seat

Safety seats are available in several different varieties. It is important to choose the right seat given the child's age, size and other individual circumstances. Some of the different types of seats include:

Car beds. Designed for premature infants born earlier than 37 weeks.
Infant-only seats. Made for babies who weigh up to 22 to 30 pounds (10 to 13 kilograms [kg]), depending on the model. These seats typically have carry handles and a detachable base that can be left in the car. Some come as a part of a stroller system.
Convertible seats. These seats can be used rear facing for infants then turned forward as children grow. They should be used rear-facing until the child is 1 and at least 20 pounds (9 kg) according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Most forward facing convertible seats can be used until the child is 40 pounds (19 kg), although some also convert to booster seats for bigger children.
Forward facing seats (also called toddler seats or toddler boosters). These are similar to convertible seats but can only be used in the forward facing position (not for infants or children under 20 pounds).
Booster seats. Made for children between 40 and 80 pounds (19 and 37 kg). Children should be switched to these seats when they reach the maximum weight allowed by a car seat, their ears have reached the top of the car seat or their shoulders are above the top harness slots.

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.

Parents who have any doubts about whether or not their car seat is properly installed are urged to consult an expert for advice. Federally funded car-seat stations have been set up throughout the country that can offer both installation and inspection of car seat installations. You can find a station by going to the NHTSA web site (http://www.seatcheck.org/) or by calling 1-866-SEAT-CHECK.

Local health departments, fire and police departments, new car dealers and hospitals also may offer this type of help. They often hold "clinics" in the parking lot of shopping centers, particularly those with toy stores or baby/children specialty stores. Even parents who feel confident about installing a car seat themselves are urged to have their work inspected by one of these experts, especially if they never have installed a seat previously.

Car safety for older children

Over time, your child will graduate from car seats to safety belts. These devices contain both a lap belt and shoulder harness to help both older children and adults to secure themselves during travel. Children are ready for safety belts when they can sit with their backs against the seat back, knees bent over the edge of the seat and feet on the floor without slouching. This typically occurs when a child is 4 feet 9 inches (150 centimeters) tall.

Lap belts should fit snugly across the top of a child's thighs and the shoulder harness should fit across the center of the shoulder and across the chest. Make sure children don't tuck the shoulder belt behind their back or under an arm since this leaves them unprotected during a crash.

Once children are old enough to ride without car seats or boosters, it may be tempting to let them sit up front. But the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under age 13 continue to ride in the back. Air bags have prevented the deaths or injuries of millions of older children and adults, but they are made for adults and can cause significant injury to younger children. When the driver breaks hard during an accident, a child's upper body is likely to be thrown forward toward the direction of the airbag. When the airbag deploys, a young child may be thrown into it with a force so strong that it causes serious head and neck injuries.

Vehicles with no rear seat are not the best choice for traveling with children. However, the passenger seat can be pushed back as far as possible to maximize the distance from the air bag. Also, the passenger-side airbags in some cars can be disabled by either the driver or manufacturer.

For more about keeping children safe in cars, see Car Safety.