On the “Car Seat Safety Checks & Education” page of our website we have a little “test your knowledge” section and the short yes or no answers are given at the bottom of the page. Here we will give you the best answer for each of those questions about car seat safety.
1. Yes or no, children should ride in the back seat until they are 13 years old?
2, Yes or no, installing a car seat correctly with either L.A.T.C.H. or the seatbelt is equally safe?
3. A child’s car seat is okay to move up to 1 inch left-to-right and still be properly installed, yes or no?
4. You should always use L.A.T.C.H. and the vehicle’s seatbelt to install the car seat if your vehicle is equipped with L.A.T.C.H., right?
5. On a rear-facing car seat, should the handle you carry the car seat with always be locked in the up position while the baby is riding in the vehicle?
6. As long as the child is properly restrained is it safe for the child to ride in the front of a vehicle in a rear facing car seat with airbags installed?
7. Should the harness on the car seat be checked for tightness each time the child is put into the car seat?
8. Is it safe for a child to ride rear facing after they are one year old?
9. If a child reaches 1 year old and can walk unassisted, they should be turned forward-facing.
10. The harness/shoulder straps should go through the back of the car seat at or just above the shoulders of the child riding in a car seat.
So, how confident are you feeling right now?
Don’t worry how many you get correct. Remember, you are here because you care. You’re here to learn. You know what they say, when we know better, we do better.
Now it’s time to check those answers!
Keep Scrolling Down!
- The answer is yes! All child passengers 0-13 years old are safest when riding in the back seat of a vehicle and properly restrained
- Yes! When the car seat is installed correctly it is equally safe to use the vehicle’s seatbelt or L.A.T.C.H. according to the car seat’s manual and vehicle manual.
- Yes! The child’s car seat can be installed correctly and still move up to an inch, but no more than that, from side to side at the belt path.
- No! You should use one or the other to install the car seat, never both.
- The answer to this question is no! “Always” is the key word here. The position of a rear facing car seat’s carry handle while being used in a vehicle depends on what the car seat manufacturer says.
- No! It’s NEVER safe for a child in a rear facing car seat to ride in the front seat of a vehicle with air bags installed.
- Absolutely, positively, yes!
- Yes, it is! Not only is it safe for a one-year-old to continue to ride rear-facing, but it’s also best for children to remain in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible until reaching the maximum height and weight limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
- Not at all, no! The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued their recommendation and states that the safest way for a child three years of age and younger to travel is in a rear-facing car seat. For those concerned about a child’s legs being cramped, uncomfortable, or injured in a crash, the AAP determined that children are NOT at an increased risk for leg injuries rear-facing rather than forward-facing.
- Yes and no! The position of the harness/shoulder straps is determined by which way the child passenger is facing, rear-facing is at or slightly below the shoulders and forward-facing is at or just above the shoulders. You should always refer to your car seat manual to tell you where those straps should be.
Meeting parents where they are in their journey is super important to our team at The Jacksonville Baby Company.
So, naturally car seat safety and safe sleep are two of our top priorities. If you are expecting a little one soon, have one or two already, or even have older kiddos under 13 years of age consider contacting us to set up a time for one-on-one education, support, and assistance with selecting and installation of your car seat.
Happy Birth and Parenting!
Elizabeth Luke
CPST, CCBE, P&ICS,
owner and founder of The Jax Baby Company