833-654-8733
The seat needs to fit the child – fit the Vehicle – and be used correctly on every trip!
From the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Each year thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. You can help keep this from happening to your child by using car safety seats and seat belts correctly on every single trip you take. Here are some helpful tips.
No one seat is the “best” or “safest.” The best seat is the one that fits your child’s size, is correctly installed, and is used properly every time you drive. When shopping for a car safety seat, keep the following in mind:
All infants should ride rear-facing until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. That means that if your baby reaches 20 pounds before her first birthday, she should remain rear-facing at least until she turns 1 year old. It is best for children to ride rear-facing to the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer.
There are 2 types of rear-facing seats: infant-only seats and convertible seats. Convertible seats can be used rear-facing for infants, and then turned forward-facing once your child is old enough and big enough to do so safely.
Once your child is at least 1 year of age and weighs at least 20 pounds, he can ride forward-facing. However, it is best for him to ride rear-facing until he reaches the highest weight or height allowed by the car safety seat. There are many types of seats that can be used forward-facing: convertible seats, built-in seats, combination forward-facing/booster seats, and travel vests.
Once your child is at least 1 year of age and weighs at least 20 pounds, he can ride forward-facing. However, it is best for him to ride rear-facing until he reaches the highest weight or height allowed by the car safety seat. There are many types of seats that can be used forward-facing: convertible seats, built-in seats, combination forward-facing/booster seats, and travel vests.
Convertible seats can be used forward-facing by children who are at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. To switch the seat from rear- to forward-facing, be sure to follow these steps:
When making these changes, always follow the car safety seat instructions.
Built-in forward-facing seats are available in some cars and vans. Weight and height limits vary. Read your vehicle owner’s manual or contact the manufacturer for details about how to use these seats.
Combination forward-facing/booster seats
Some car safety seats can be used as both a forward-facing seat and a booster. These seats come with harness straps for children who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds (depending on the model). Once your child reaches the weight or height limit for the harness, you can use the seat as a booster by removing the harness and using your vehicle’s lap and shoulder seat belts. Keep in mind that when using the harness straps, the seat can be secured with a lap and shoulder belt or a lap-only belt. However, once you remove the harness, you must use a lap and shoulder seat belt. Children must never ride in a booster seat using a lap belt only because serious injury can result.
Travel vests can be used for a child who has outgrown his seat with a harness but is not yet ready for a booster seat or cannot use a booster seat because the vehicle only has lap seat belts in the rear.
Booster seats are designed to raise your child so that the lap and shoulder seat belts fit properly. This means the lap belt lies low across your child’s upper thighs and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of your child’s chest and shoulder. Correct belt fit helps protect the stomach, spine, and head from injury in a crash. Both high-back and backless booster seats are available. They do not come with harness straps but are used with the lap and shoulder seat belts in your vehicle, the same way an adult rides. Booster seats should be used until your child can correctly fit in lap and shoulder seat belts (see “Seat belts” below).
Your child should stay in a car safety seat with a harness as long as possible before switching to a booster seat. You can tell when your child is ready for a booster seat when one of the following is true:
Remember, seat belts are made for adults. If the seat belt does not fit your child correctly, he should stay in a booster seat until the adult seat belts fit him correctly. This is usually when the child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age.
Your child is ready to use a lap and shoulder seat belt when the belts fit properly. This means
Other points to keep in mind when using seat belts
There are products for sale that attach to the seat belt and claim to make it fit better. These products may actually interfere with proper lap and shoulder belt fit by causing the lap belt to ride too high on the stomach and making the shoulder belt too loose, and may even damage the seat belt itself. There is no federal standard for the performance of these products, and most vehicle and car safety seat manufacturers do not recommend their use. Until there are federal safety standards for these products, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends they not be used. As long as children are riding in the correct restraint for their size and age, they do not need to use any additional devices.
There are 2 main things to remember when installing a car safety seat.
Ask yourself the following questions to make sure both are done correctly. If you are not sure, check the instructions that came with your car safety seat, or contact a certified CPS Technician for help.
There are several ways to make car safety seat installation safer and easier, including the following:
All new cars, minivans, and light trucks have been required to have tether anchors since September 2000. Most new forward-facing car safety seats and a few rear-facing car safety seats come with tethers. For older car safety seats, tether kits are available. Tethers are recommended because they greatly improve the protection of your child in a crash. Check with the car safety seat manufacturer to find out how you can get a tether for your seat if yours does not have one.
Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. These may seem safe, but thousands of children are hurt every year from falling out of shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead of placing your baby’s car safety seat on the cart, consider using a stroller or frontpack while shopping with your baby.
Premature infants should be observed by a health care professional in their car safety seats while still in the hospital to make sure the reclined position does not cause low heart rate, low oxygen, or breathing problems. If your baby needs to lie flat during travel, use a crash-tested car bed. Otherwise, use a rear-facing car safety seat without a tray shield. Shields often are too big and too far from the body to fit correctly. A small baby’s face could hit the tray in a crash. If possible, an adult should ride in the back seat next to your baby to watch him closely.
Many babies reach 20 pounds well before their first birthday. However, just because your baby weighs more than 20 pounds does not make her ready to ride facing forward. Use a convertible or infant-only seat that can be used rear-facing by children who weigh more than 20 pounds and keep your baby rear-facing at least until she has reached her first birthday.
Children with special health needs may have to use special restraint systems. Talk about this with your pediatrician. Information about transporting your child with special needs is available from the National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Health Care Needs at 800/620-0143 or Visit Thier Site. For more information and a list of car safety seats available for children with special needs – Visit Their Website.
All new cars come with air bags. When used with seat belts, air bags work very well to protect teenagers and adults. However, air bags are very dangerous to children, particularly those riding in rear-facing car safety seats and to child passengers who are not properly positioned. If your car has a passenger air bag, infants in rear-facing seats must ride in the back seat. Even in a relatively low-speed crash, the air bag can inflate, strike the car safety seat, and cause serious brain and neck injury and death.
Toddlers who ride in forward-facing car safety seats also are at risk from air bag injuries. All children up to age 13 years are safest in the back seat. If you must put a child in the front seat, slide the vehicle seat back as far as it will go. Make sure your child is properly restrained for his age and size and stays in the proper position at all times. This will help prevent the air bag from striking your child.
Air bag on/off switches can be used in the few cases in which an infant must ride in the front seat. Most families don’t need to use the air bag on/off switch. Air bags that are turned off cannot protect other passengers riding in the front seat. Air bag on/off switches should only be used if all of the following are true:
On/off switches also must be used if you have a vehicle with no back seat or a back seat that is not made for passengers.
Side air bags improve safety for adults in side impact crashes. However, children who are seated near a side air bag may be at risk for serious injury. Read your vehicle owner’s manual for recommendations that apply to your vehicle.
Avoid having to drive more children than can be buckled safely in the back seat, especially if your car has passenger air bags. However, if necessary, a child in a forward-facing car safety seat with a harness may be the best choice to ride in front. This is because a child who is in a booster seat or using a regular seat belt can easily move out of position and be at greater risk for injuries from the air bag.
If your child is being driven by someone else, make sure
Child care programs and schools should have written guidelines for transporting children. These guidelines should include the following:
For more information on written transportation guidelines for schools and child care programs, visit Healthy Kids and Healthy Child Care.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the AAP recommend that when flying, children should be securely fastened in car safety seats until 4 years of age, and then should be secured with the airplane seat belts. This will help keep them safe during takeoff and landing or in case of turbulence. Most infant, convertible, and forward-facing seats are certified to be used on airplanes. Booster seats and travel vests are not. Check the label on your car safety seat and call the car safety seat manufacturer before you travel to be sure your seat is certified for use on an airplane. You can also consider using a restraint made only for use on airplanes and approved by the FAA.
If the car safety seat was in a moderate or severe crash, it needs to be replaced. If the crash was minor, the seat does not automatically need to be replaced. The NHTSA considers a crash minor if all of the following are true:
If you are unsure, call the manufacturer of the seat. See the resource section at the end of this handout for manufacturer names and phone numbers.
Avoid used car safety seats, especially if bought from a yard sale or a thrift shop because you won’t know the seat’s history.
If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow the instructions to fix it or to get the parts you need. You also may get a registration card for future recall notices from the hotline.
Don’t leave your child alone in or around cars
Children should never be left alone in or around a car whether they are in their car safety seats or not. Any of the following can happen when a child is left alone in or around a vehicle:
Don’t leave your baby unattended in a car safety seat outside of the vehicle either. When your baby falls asleep in her car safety seat, it can be tempting to bring her inside and leave her alone in the seat, but this can be unsafe. Your baby can fall out of the seat, or the seat can fall over. The best place for your baby to sleep is on her back in a safe crib.
All products listed in Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2007 meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213 as of the date of publication. There may be car safety seats available that are not listed in this handout. The information is current as of the date of publication. Before buying a car safety seat, check the manufacturer’s instructions for important safety information about proper fitting and use.If you do not have the manufacturer’s instructions for your car safety seat, write or call the company’s customer service department. A representative will ask you for the model number, name of seat, and date of manufacture. The manufacturer’s address and phone number are on the label on the seat.
Infant-only seats
Name
Harness Type
Rear-Facing
Weight Limits
Height Limits
Price
Baby Trend EZ-Loc, Flex-Lox, Latch-Loc Adjustable Back
5-point
5-22 pounds
28 1/2″
$79.99–$199.99
Britax Companion
5-point
4-22 pounds
30″
$199.99
Chicco Key Fit Infant Car Seat
5-point
4-22 pounds
30″
$150–$160
Combi Centre/ST/DX/EX
5-point
5-22 pounds
29″
$110–$130
Combi Connection
5-point
5-22 pounds
29″
$159.99
Combi Tyro/Tyro II Infant Car Seat
5-point
22 pounds
29″
$100–$149
Compass Baby LP Infant Car Seat
5-point
4-22 pounds
30″
$100–$140
Cosco Arriva
5-point
5-22 pounds
29″
$75
Eddie Bauer Comfort Infant Car Seat
5-point
5-22 pounds
29″
$100
Evenflo Discovery
3-point
5-22 pounds
19″–28″
$50–$60
Evenflo Embrace
5-point
5-22 pounds
19″–28″
$60–$90
Evenflo First Choice
3-point
5-22 pounds
19″–28″
$40
Graco Infant Safe Seat
5-point
5-30 pounds
32″
$129–$169
Graco SnugRide
3-point
5-point
5-22 pounds
29″
$69–$120
Orbit Baby Infant Car Seat
5-point
22 pounds
29″
$899.95
Safety 1st Designer 22
5-point
5-22 pounds
29″
$60-$80
Safety 1st Starter, Starter DX
5-point
5-22 pounds
29″
$70
Convertible seats
Name
Harness Type
Rear-Facing
Weight Limits/
Height Limits
Forward-Facing
Weight Limits/
Height Limits
Price
Britax Boulevard
5-point
5-33 pounds
1 year and 20–65 pounds
27″–49″
$299.99
Britax Decathlon
5-point
5-33 pounds
1 year and 20–65 pounds
27″–49″
$284.99
Britax Marathon
5-point
5-33 pounds
1 year and 20–65 pounds
27″–49″
$269.99
Britax Roundabout with Latch
5-point
5-33 pounds
1 year and 20-40 pounds
27″-40″
$219.99
Combi Avatar
5-point
5-30 pounds
20-40 pounds
$85–$100
Cosco Alpha Omega Elite (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)
5-point
5-35 pounds
36″
Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 40″ Belt-positioning booster: 30–100 pounds; 52″
$130–$160
Cosco Regal Ride
5-point
5-35 pounds
36″
22-40 pounds
43″
$40-$70
Cosco Scenera/DX
5-point
Overhead shield
5-35 pounds
36″
22-40 pounds
43″
$60–$90
Eddie Bauer Deluxe 3-in-1 Convertible Car Seat (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)
5-point
5-35 pounds
36″
Forward-facing: 20–40 pounds; 40″ Belt-positioning booster: 30–100 pounds; 52″
$170–$180
Evenflo Titan 5/5 Deluxe
5-point
5-30 pounds
20-40 pounds
$60-$70
Evenflo Tribute 5/DLX
5-point
Overhead shield
5-30 pounds
20-40 pounds
$50-$60
Evenflo Triumph 5/DLX
5-point
5-30 pounds
20-40 pounds
$120-$140
Graco ComfortSport
5-point
5-30 pounds
20-40 pounds
40″
$69-$120
Safety 1st Alpha Elite, Alpha Sport, 3-Phase Convertible Car Seat (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)
5-point
5-35 pounds
Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 40″ Belt-positioning booster: 40–80 pounds; 52″
$179
Safety 1st Alpha Omega Elite (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)
5-point
5-35 pounds
Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds
Belt-positioning booster: 40–100 pounds
$159
Safety 1st Enspira (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)
5-point Overhead shield
5–35 pounds 36″
Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 43″ Belt-positioning booster: 30–80 pounds; 52″
$100
Safety 1st Intera (rear-facing, forward-facing, or booster)
5-point
5–35 pounds 36″
Forward-facing: 22–40 pounds; 43″
Belt-positioning booster (high back and backless): 40–100 pounds; 57″
$140
Sunshine Kids Radian65 Car Seat
5-point
5-33 pounds
Up to 65 pounds
49″
$199.99
Sunshine Kids Radian80 Car Seat
5-point
5-33 pounds
Up to 80 pounds
49″
$299
Tripleplay Products Sit n’ Stroll
5-point
5-30 pounds
20-40 pounds
$200
Combination seats
(Can be used with 5-point harness or as belt-positioning booster.)
Name
Weight Limits/
Height Limits
With Harness
Weight Limits/
Height Limits as
Belt Positioner
Price
Cosco High Back Booster
22-40 pounds
43″
40-80 pounds
52″
$39–$59
Cosco Summit/Deluxe
22-40 pounds
43″
30–100 pounds
52″
$80–$135
Cosco Ventura DX
22-40 pounds
43″
40-80 pounds
52″
$40–$80
Eddie Bauer Adjustable High Back Booster
22-40 pounds
43″
40-100 pounds
52″
$129
Eddie Bauer Comfort High Back Booster
22-40 pounds
43″
40-100 pounds
52″
$90–$140