How to Know What Car Seat Stage Your Child is In

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) , the leading cause of injury and death of infants are car crashes. This is why it is important to ensure that your child's car seat is not only properly installed, but that your child is in the right kind of car seat for his stage. This ensures that the chances of your child surviving a traffic accident are greatly increased.

Children under the age of 13 should not ride in the front seat, but should be strapped in the back seat of the car in a convertible forward-facing car seat or high back booster seat.

Below is a quick reference guide on the minimum age and weight requirements for children who must be in a car or booster seat as specified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

*Birth-1 year/ 20 pounds or less: Rear facing car seat.
*1-4 years/ 20-40 pounds: Convertible forward-facing seat or high back booster seat
*4-8 years/ shorter than 4'9": Belt-positioning booster seat.

The Rear Facing Car Seat Stage
Federal Law requires that all infants be strapped into a rear-facing car seat in the back seat of the car until at least 1 year old and weighing a minimum of 20 pounds.

The Booster Seat Stage
Booster seats come in two forms- the high back booster seat and the backless booster seat. Use a high back booster seat if your car's seat back is lower than your child's ears to protect against head and neck injury. Use a backless booster seat if the car's seat back is higher than your child's ears.

The Seat Belt Stage
Children should not be allowed to ride in a car without a car seat or booster seat until the seat belt fits them properly. The proper fit of a seat belt for a child is when the strap does not go across the neck and face. The knees must also be able to bend over the edge of the seat while the child sits all the way back. The seat belt should fit snugly over the upper thighs of the child and not over the abdomen.

It is also important to not let your child put shoulder belts under the arms or behind the back, as this is unsafe in the event of an accident. The best way of protecting your child is knowing which car seat is appropriate to use and how to use it properly.

Source:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/