Child Car Seat Safety Tips: Everything You Need To Know
The child car seat safety tips that you need to know include: (1) the legal requirements for car seats; (2) what type of seat is appropriate for your kid’s age; (3) where your kid should be seated in the car; (4) no winter coats; (5) the danger of “used” car seats; and (6) stay vigilant about monitoring recalls.
Child car seat safety can be a matter of life and death. Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for young children. Young children who are properly positioned and secured in a seat suitable for their height and weight have a considerably greater chance of surviving a car crash.
The CDC reports:
- “Car seat use reduces the risk for injury in a crash by 71–82% for children, when compared with seat belt use alone.”
- “Booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45% for children ages 4–8, when compared with seat belt use alone.”
- “Seat belt use reduces the risk for death and serious injury by about half for older children and adults.”
Child car seat safety information for parents
The most important child car seat safety information for parents includes: (1) follow the Michigan car seat laws; (2) make sure your child is using the proper seat for his or her height and weight; (3) position kids under 13 in the rear seat; (4) no winter coats; (5) no used car seats; and (6) watch for recall notices.
Rear-facing child car seat safety tips
A child must be secured in a rear-facing car seat until he or she has reached the seat’s weight or height limit as set by the seat’s manufacturer or the child is 2 years of age or older. (MCL 257.710d(2)(a))
After those conditions are met, the child will switch to a forward-facing car seat.
Forward-facing child car seat safety tips
A child must be secured in a forward-facing car seat until he or she has reached the seat’s weight or height limit as set by the seat’s manufacturer or the child is 5 years of age or older. (MCL 257.710d(2)(b))
After those conditions are met, the child will switch to a booster seat.
Boosters seats
A child must be secured in a “belt-positioning child booster seat” until he or she has reached the height of 4 feet 9 inches or the child is 8 years of age or older. (MCL 257.710d(2)(c))
Once those conditions are met, the child is no longer required to sit in a child car seat.
Child car seat safety tips for seat belts
Children who are 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age may sit in the front seat or the rear seat of the vehicle, but wherever they sit, they must wear a seat belt. (MCL 257.710d(4) and (5); 257.710e(3) and (5))
Like adults, children should use both lap and shoulder belts to ensure the most reliable protection.
It is important to remember that in order for a seat belt to fit properly – and provide the protection it is designed to provide – the lap belt must fit snugly on a child’s upper thighs (not the stomach) and the shoulder belt should fit across the shoulder (not across the neck or face).
Having kids ride in the rear seat
Children under 13 years of age must (1) wear a seat belt and (2) sit in the rear seat of the vehicle. (MCL 257.710d(4))
Remove children’s winter coats
According to child car seat safety in the winter, experts recommend that kids should not wear their winter coats while secured in their car seats because it can leave the harness too loose to protect children in the event of a car crash. The seat’s harness should fit tightly to the child’s body, approximately at the armpit level.
To keep children both safe and warm, you can drape a blanket and/or a child’s winter coat over the top of the child once he or she has been safely secured in his or her seat and the harness has been securely fastened.
Do not use or buy a used toddler car seat
In terms of child car seat safety for toddlers, our attorneys strongly advise that you do not purchase a used toddler car seat because its protective capabilities may no longer be effective if it is more than 6 years old or past its expiration. The car seat may also have already been recalled, or its structure may have been damaged or compromised from having previously been in a car crash.
Child car seat safety tips for car seat recalls
Follow these child car seat safety tips to make sure you know about recalls that could affect your kids: (1) fill out and return the registration card to the manufacturer of your kid’s seat; (2) check NHTSA’s page for car seat recalls; and (3) sign up for NTHSA email notifications of recalls.
Filling out the registration card for the manufacturer of your child’s car seat is very important because it enables the manufacturer to contact you directly via mail, email or text with recall information and instructions on what to do to keep your child safe – whether it involves fixing, repairing or modifying the seat or trading it in for a new one.
When checking for recall information with NHTSA, make sure you know the following information about your car seat: (1) brand or manufacturer name; (2) model name; (3) model number; and (4) date of manufacture.
Injured in a car accident? Call Michigan Auto Law now for a free consultation
We all know child car seat safety is important but unfortunately accidents can happen. If you or your child was injured in a crash in Michigan, call now (800) 968-1001 for a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer. There is no cost or obligation. You can also visit our contact page or use the chat feature on our website.
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