How safe is the car seat in your car?
Did you know that car crashes are the number one killer of children aged 1 to 12 years old in the United States?
How do you provide the best protection? The short answer is to use the right car seat at the right time. Do you use the same seat for an infant as you use for a toddler? Do you install the seat rear or face forward? Should the car seat have any movement up or down or side to side? How much movement is safe? Do you use the latch system or Seat belt? Can I use a second hand car seat? Can I use my car seat after a car accident? How do I secure my child? Do I purchase a 5 point harness or 3 point harness? How tight do I secure my child? At what level does the chest clip go?
So many questions, so many options. It can be kind of overwhelming. I for instance had my five year old in the proper car seat, facing forward and attached to the car using the latch system. Little did I know that the latch system for my particular car seat should only be used up to 40 pounds. My child was 46 pounds. I quickly removed the car seat and had it installed using the seat belt, which was no easy task. I actually ended up contacting a professional and had the seat installed by someone who knew what they were doing.
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