Tips To Keep Your Most Precious Cargo Safe

Tips To Keep Your Most Precious Cargo Safe

It’s Child Passenger Safety Week and I hope that these tips to keep your most precious cargo safe help you make sure that your little ones are secure and safe anytime they are in your car.  This post is sponsored by Safety 1^st.

I don’t know about you but my kids are the more precious cargo in our car.  Nothing else is more important than making sure they are protected and buckled in at all times, even when we are just going around the corner.  As parents our first car seat check usually happens when we are getting ready to go home from the hospital after the birth of our babies.  However after that do you ever get your seat checked again?  Are you aware that you can get a seat check done to make sure your seat is installed correctly and your child is protected in the event of an accident.  Car accidents are the leading cause in deaths of children 13 and under, many of which can be prevented.  Check out some of these great tips from Julie Vallese, Safety 1^st Consumer Safety Expert.

Importance of Rear Facing

In March of 2011 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their car seat recommendations advising that children should remain rear facing until the age of two, or until they reach the maximum height and weight requirements allowed by their car seat. According to a study in the Journal of Injury Prevention children under the age of two are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in the event of a car crash if they are rear facing. When a child is rear facing their head, neck and spine are better supported and in the event of an accident, crash forces are distributed over the child’s entire body.

Installation

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, 75% of car seats are installed incorrectly.  Every car and car seat has different requirements for the safest installation so before you get started it is important to read both the car seat and car manual.

Typically the center rear seat is the safest place for a car seat, and never install a car seat in the front seat.  If your car does not have a latch connector for the middle seat, you can use the middle seat belt to properly secure the base.  When installing, make sure the base of the car seat moves no more than an inch from side to side. An easy way to test this is to hold at the belt path.

New parents and grandparents are encouraged to attend a car seat check before the baby is born.  However, don’t just rely on the experts. You’re likely going to be taking the car seat out and installing it somewhere else at some point, so make sure you’re comfortable with the process too.

Car Seat Expiration

Never use used or old car seats.  Car seats do have an expiration date and it is to understand the risks associated with using an expired or old car seat.  The reason for an expiration date is because plastic can warp and materials can fray, which can make car seats less safe to use.  Car seat technology and state and federal car seat regulations change.  A car seat deemed safe more than six years ago may no longer meet federal testing regulations.  Important warning labels may wear out and instruction books may get lost, which can lead to improper use of the car seat.

Be sure to get your kids seat checked and make sure they are in the correct seats for their ages and weight.  If they are no longer in a seat make sure they buckle up at all times.  National Safety Check Saturday is on September 21st, 2013, so if you can get out and get those seats checked.

In honor of Child Passenger Safety Week, Safety 1^st is offering one of my readers a change to win one of their car seats.  Winner gets to choose between the three seats featured below.  The giveaway will run from today until September, 30th at 11:59 PM.  You must be 18 and older to enter.  The giveaway is open to the US only.  Check out the choices below.

Safety 1^st Elite 80 3-in-1 car seat

The Elite 80 works in rear-facing mode for babies up to 40 pounds, then converts to forward-facing with harness, but features an extended weight range to keep children safely in harness all the way to 80 pounds.  In its 3rd mode, the Elite 80 goes beyond the traditional convertible seat to convert into a belt-positioning booster car seat for children up to 100 pounds.  Additionally Air Protect + combines the advanced protection of our Air Protect® cushion system with patented GCell HX™ foam designed with hexagonal shapes for 100% full body production.

 

Safety 1^st Advance 70 Air+

This convertible car seat was inspired by race car drivers. Air Protect+ combines Safety 1^st Air Protect® Technology with GCell HX™ – hexagonal rebounding foam used in the body of the car seat to protect the child from the multiple hits that occur in crashes. Coupled with this is the placement of Air Protect® Technology which takes crash forces away from a child’s head.  This technology was developed in partnership with racecar engineers at Bald Spot Sports and INDY Car Driver Scott Dixon to better understand the energy dynamics a high performance driver faces in the event of a crash.

 

Safety 1^st BoostAPak Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat.

The BoostAPak is designed to help keep kids in boosters longer, as it’s often hard to get an older child to stay in his or her booster seat. This booster seat also doubles as a backpack!  For children 4 to 7 years old, booster seats reduce injury risk by 59% compared to seat belts alone. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia).  Additionally, the AAP recommends children ride in boosters until the age of 12 or 57 inches; but only 13% of children 54-56 inches tall ride on one (NHTSA)

Good Luck and be sure to share the giveaway.  Enter via the tool below and come back daily for more entries.