Car seat safety tips for parents

Our Pennsyvlania law firm is pleased to provide the following car seat safety tips for parents:

• Infants in rear-facing child safety seats should never ride in the front seat of a vehicle with a passenger air bag. The back of a rear-facing child safety seat sits very close to the dashboard. In a crash, it could be struck with fatal force by an air bag.
• Always use a child restraint system when your child is in your vehicle. Even if you are going a short distance, be sure to have your child in the car seat.
• The safest place for all children to ride is buckled up in the back seat. In particular, children aged 12 and under should always ride in the back seat with their safety belts properly secured.
• Carefully read the owner's manual for your vehicle, the label on the safety belt, and the instructions for your child safety seat to learn how to properly install the seat in the vehicle. Many fire departments, hospitals, car dealerships, and police departments can show you how to properly install your child restraint system. Many communities provide clinics to teach parents' the correct methods. Take advantage of this opportunity.
• If a child must ride in the front seat of a car that is equipped with an air bag, the following three steps should be followed:
• Properly restrain the child by using a booster seat plus a lap/shoulder belt or a lap/shoulder belt alone, depending on the size of the child.
• Push the vehicle seat all the way back to minimize the distance between the child and the air bag.
• Make sure the child sits with his or her back against the seat back, with as little slack as possible to minimize forward movement in the case of a crash.
• The best car seat is one that fits your child, fits your vehicle, and the one that you can install and use properly every time.
• If you have several children and one must ride in the front seat, the oldest/largest child is the most appropriate. If that child is the proper size, make sure the safety belt is properly fastened and move the vehicle seat as far away from the dashboard as possible.
• If a car seat was involved in a crash, don't use it. It may have been weakened, even if it looks fine.
• If you meet resistance from your child, be firm about the use of restraint systems. Children need to learn to ride safely all the time and on every trip.
• Set a good example for your child and make sure that you always buckle up.
• If you have questions about the safety of a car seat, you should call the manufacturer.
• Never place a child under 40 pounds in a booster seat.

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