Car Seat Safety

Keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle is obtained by proper sized car seats and booster seats. The type of car or booster seat your child needs depends on your child’s size. To be sure your child is using the most appropriate car seat please refer to the chart below provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) .

Infant car seat safety- There are 2 types of rear-facing car safety seats: infant-only seats and convertible car seats.

Infant-only seats (also called car seat carriers)

• Are small and have carrying handles (and sometimes come as part of a stroller system).
• Are used for infants up to 22 to 32 pounds, depending on the car seat model.
• Many come with a base that is installed into a car. The carrier sits in the base for safety.

Convertible seats (used rear-facing for infants and young children)

• Can be used rear-facing, then “converted” to forward-facing for older children. Convertible car seats are often more expensive than infant only car seats, but the time of use is much longer, since a child can transition into it and use it for many years.
• Have higher rear-facing weight and height limits than infant-only seats, which makes them ideal for bigger babies.

Toddlers and preschoolers can safely use forward-facing car seats.

Once your child has reached the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of the seat for rear-facing, he/she can ride forward-facing in a convertible seat. Toddlers should ride in a forward-facing seat with a harness until they outgrows it (usually at around 40–65 pounds).

Types of forward-facing car safety seats

• Convertible seats—seats that “convert” from rear-facing to forward-facing seats.
• Forward-facing toddler seats—these seats can be used forward-facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 80 pounds (depending on the model).
• Combination forward-facing/booster seats—these seats can be used forward-facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds (depending on the model) or without the harness as a booster (up to 80 to 120 pounds).

School-aged children should use booster seats

Booster seats are designed for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car safety seats. It is best for children to ride in a harnessed seat as long as possible, at least to 4 years of age. If your child outgrows his seat before reaching 4 years of age, consider using a seat with a harness approved for higher weights and heights.

A child has outgrown his/her forward-facing seat when any one of the following is true:

• He reaches the top weight or height allowed for his seat with a harness. (each seat is different, be sure to read your instruction booklet.)
• His shoulders are above the top harness slots.
• His ears have reached the top of the seat.

Booster seats are designed to raise the child up so that the lap and shoulder seat belts fit properly. These car seats do not come with harness straps but are used with the lap and shoulder seat belts in your vehicle. Booster seats should be used until your child can correctly fit in lap and shoulder seat belts. See the instruction booklet that came with the booster seat for directions on how to use the guide or clip.