{"id":7315,"date":"2023-09-24T11:47:04","date_gmt":"2023-09-24T06:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/child-car-seat-safety-expert-shares-dos-and-donts-to-protect-kids-from-accident-injuries\/"},"modified":"2023-09-24T11:47:04","modified_gmt":"2023-09-24T06:17:04","slug":"child-car-seat-safety-expert-shares-dos-and-donts-to-protect-kids-from-accident-injuries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/child-car-seat-safety-expert-shares-dos-and-donts-to-protect-kids-from-accident-injuries\/","title":{"rendered":"Child car seat safety: Expert shares dos and don\u2019ts to protect kids from accident injuries"},"content":{"rendered":"

[ad_1]\n<\/p>\n

\n

Car accidents are a leading cause of death for kids<\/u>.<\/u> In 2021, 710 children in the U.S. under the age of 13 were killed in vehicle crashes, and more than 100,000 were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.<\/p>\n

Among those who died, more than a third of the kids were not properly restrained. And in a national survey by Cars.com, 60% of parents said they have struggled with car seat installation.<\/p>\n

To mark National Child Passenger Safety Week and National Seat Check Saturday, Cars.com\u2019s certified child safety seat technician, Jenni Newman, shared with Fox News Digital her “dos and don\u2019ts” for proper car seat installation<\/u>.<\/p>\n

3 CAR SEAT INSTALLATION MISTAKES YOU NEED TO AVOID<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Read on for these important tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

DO tighten straps as needed<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“As your child grows, you\u2019ll need to adjust the harness straps\u2019 location in infant seats, convertible seats and combination seats,” said Newman, who is based in Chicago.<\/p>\n

A child in a rear-facing seat should have the harness straps positioned at or below the shoulders, she advised. When forward-facing, the straps should be at or above the shoulders.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Car<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
\n
\n

“As your child grows, you\u2019ll need to adjust the harness straps\u2019 location in infant seats, convertible seats and combination seats,” Newman said.<\/span> (iStock)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

DON\u2019T turn the car seats around too soon<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It\u2019s important for parents to know when to go from rear-facing to forward-facing, Newman said.<\/p>\n

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children\u2019s car seats remain rear-facing as long as possible to better protect the head, neck and spine in the event of an accident.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Installing<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
\n
\n

Cars.com\u2019s certified child safety seat technician (not pictured) shared with Fox News Digital her “dos and don\u2019ts” for proper car seat installation. Among the tips: Don’t turn a child’s car seat around too soon.\u00a0<\/span> (Cars.com)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“Keep your child rear-facing until they reach the car seat\u2019s height or weight limit,” Newman said.<\/p>\n

DON\u2019T use both: Choose the latch OR the seatbelt\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Child car seats can be installed using either the vehicle\u2019s built-in seat belt or the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).<\/p>\n

Since 1999, federal law has required top tether anchors in new cars and top tether straps on all front-facing child seats, according to Consumer Reports.<\/p>\n

KIDS AS YOUNG AS 4 YEARS OLD CAN BEGIN TO LEARN MEDICAL EMERGENCY TRAINING: NEW REPORT<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Since 2000, lower anchors have been required in almost all cars and light trucks<\/u>, and all car seats made on or after Sept. 1, 2002 have the corresponding hooks.<\/p>\n

Some parents think using both the LATCH system and the seatbelt will add security \u2014 but Newman said that\u2019s not true.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"Installing<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
\n
\n

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children\u2019s car seats remain rear-facing as long as possible to better protect the head, neck and spine in the event of an accident.<\/span> (Cars.com)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“Choose one option and go with it,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“If you choose to install via the seatbelt, make sure to follow the extra step of locking the seat belt retractor to prevent the seat from moving around.”<\/p>\n

DO remember the top tether anchor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The top tether anchor is often forgotten because it\u2019s usually on a seat back or somewhere not as visible as the lower anchors, Newman noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
\"Insalling<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
\n
\n

Child car seats can be installed using either the vehicle\u2019s built-in seat belt or the LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children).<\/span> (Cars.com)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

“For forward-facing car seats, it\u2019s essential to connect the tether strap to the tether anchor,” she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“This limits a child’s head and neck movement in the event of a crash.”<\/p>\n

DO register your car seat<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It can be easy to overlook the small registration card that comes with every new car seat, but Newman said it\u2019s an important tool in keeping your child safe<\/u>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

MELATONIN WARNINGS: NEARLY HALF OF PARENTS GIVE IT TO THEIR KIDS TO HELP THEM SLEEP, BUT EXPERTS URGE CAUTION<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Registering your car seat allows the car-seat manufacturer to alert you in the event of a recall,” she noted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve misplaced the registration card \u2014 or if you\u2019re not sure whether you registered the seat \u2014 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a tool that provides the online registration link for each car-seat maker.<\/p>\n

DO read the manual<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“Before you install a car seat, make sure to read both the car seat manual and the car owner\u2019s manual for some help,” Newman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Be sure to read through both thoroughly and follow the instructions to the letter.”<\/p>\n

DON\u2019T be afraid to ask for help\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“If you\u2019re unsure if you\u2019ve installed your child\u2019s car seat correctly, get help,” Newman said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll often be able to find a certified child passenger safety tech at a local fire department, police station or car dealership, she suggested.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Seat checks are free, but make sure to bring your car seat\u2019s owner\u2019s manual, car\u2019s owner\u2019s manual and your child or children,” she advised.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“We recommend calling beforehand to make an appointment and confirm a technician is on site.”<\/p>\n

For more Health articles, visit <\/u><\/strong><\/i>www.foxnews.com\/health<\/u><\/strong><\/i>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Melissa Rudy is health editor and a member of the lifestyle team at Fox News Digital.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[ad_2]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[ad_1] Car accidents are a leading cause of death for kids. In 2021, 710 children in the U.S. under the age of 13 were killed in vehicle crashes, and more than 100,000 were injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Among those who died, more than a third of the kids were not …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7316,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7315"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7315"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7315\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7316"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/farratanews.online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}