In Illinois, this weekend is “Seat Check Saturday,” a day when AAA Chicago and other organizations encourage parents to double-check their children’s car seats to make sure they’re properly installed. Despite the industry-wide adoption of LATCH car seat attachment points, three out of four child seats are improperly installed. To help parents keep the little ones safe, AAA has provided a list of twelve common child-seat errors:
1. Moving out of a booster seat too soon – Seat belts are designed to fit adults, not children. Depending on a child’s growth and development, a seat belt typically fits properly (lap belt across the hips and shoulder belt across the chest and collarbone) between the ages of 8 and 12.
2. Not installing the car seat tight enough – The car seat should not move side to side or front to back with more than an inch of ‘wiggle room’ at the belt path.
3. Harness straps are too loose – Harness should be snug enough (with no gaps or twists) to keep the child restrained in the event of a crash.
4. Retainer clip (or chest clip) is too low – The retainer clip needs to be at armpit level to secure the child in the event of a crash.
5. Turning child forward facing too soon – A child should remain rear facing until they are two years old to maximize safety in the event of a crash.
6. Allowing a child under 13 to ride in the front seat – Younger children are not typically large enough to ride safely in the front seat and can be seriously injured by front air bags in the event of a crash.
7. Forgetting the top tether – Without the top tether, which is a strap that connects the forward facing car seat to the car and restricts the top of the seat from moving forward in a crash, a child’s head and neck could be subjected to excessive forward movement in a sudden stop or crash.
8. Adding additional padding, toys or mirrors to a child’s car seat – Using products that have not been tested with the car seat may interfere with how the seat was designed to perform in a crash. Additionally, loose items can become dangerous projectiles in a crash.
9. Installing a car seat using LATCH in the center rear position of a vehicle (when not permitted by the manufacturer) – Most vehicles do not support LATCH in the center rear seats. Always use the vehicle’s owner’s manual to determine which vehicle seats support LATCH.
10. Transporting unsecured, heavy items, including pets, in the vehicle – These items can become a dangerous projectile in the car and seriously injure passengers.
11. Installing a car seat using both LATCH and a seat belt – It’s one or the other as these systems often work against each other in the event of a crash.
12. Wearing bulky coats/sweaters while buckled into a car seat – Bulky coats can create slack in the harness system – always buckle the child first and then place blankets over them for warmth.
For more information, check out AAA’s Safe Seats 4 Kids site.
