Child Passenger Safety Week (Part 3) sponsored by Britax -Need a Boost?

Parents stress over the correct installation of their car seats, and rightfully so. Child safety seats reduce the risk of death in passenger cars by 71% for infants and by 54% for toddlers, ages 1 to 4 years. (Info provided by the CDC.)

However, as your twinnies get older, some parents may get a bit lax, (yes, we know it’s not you; we are talking about OTHER parents.) By the time your kiddos are in booster seats, you may just find them to be more of a pain in the butt, then a necessary piece of equipment. Well, for those of you who are ready to toss them out the window or for those JUST moving into booster seats, here’s a quick refresher course for you.

Information provided by Britax USA

Booster seats are a type of child restraint that do not have a five-point harness system, but rather rely on the vehicle seat belt system to keep your child restrained. The booster seat elevates your child so that the vehicle seat belt is positioned properly over your child. Booster seats should be used in the rear vehicle seat with a lap and shoulder seat belt system, never a lap belt-only.

 

A combination seat starts out as a forward-facing seat with a 5-point harness, and then transforms into a
belt-positioning booster seat.

Child Passenger Safety Week (Part 2) sponsored by Britax

Information provided by Britax USA

Today it’s all about the LATCH!

LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (what’s the H for? I vote “happy.”) All passenger vehicles and child seats manufactured after September 1, 2002, are required to have special anchors for attaching the child seat directly to the vehicle rather than securing the child seat with the vehicle’s seat belt. Keep in mind that even if your vehicle is equipped with LATCH you are still able to secure the child seat using the vehicle seat belt system. Whether you choose to secure the seat using either your vehicle seat belt system or LATCH is up to you; you are not required to use LATCH.

To use LATCH, both the child seat and the vehicle must have LATCH parts that work together.

Twiniversity acknowledges Child Passenger Safety Week with a special series of iTwinsDay’s sponsored by Britax

Did you know that 73 percent of all child restraints are not used properly? Did you know that car crashes are the number one killer of children in the United States?

Well you do now! This week is Child Passenger Safety Week, and from now through Friday, Twiniversity has teamed up with Britax bringing you information that will ensure your twinnies are the safest passengers around.

The CDC’s #1 piece of advice is, “Know The Stages.” (see below)

• UNTIL AGE 1/20 LBS – For the best possible protection keep infants in the back seat, in rear-facing child safety seats, as long as possible up to the height or weight limit of their particular seat. At a minimum, keep infants rear-facing until at least age 1 year and at least 20 pounds.