Car seat safety is a hugely important subject, with car accidents being the number one killer of children between 1-14 years old. But we still find that 75% of people are not following guidelines correctly.
This car seat safety infographic from Parenting Pod was created by a certified child passenger safety technician to explain simply how car seats work and why you need to install them in line with expert opinion to prevent and minimize injuries to your children.
How do we protect against crashes?
Adults are well protected by seat belts and airbags to bring them to a stop safely. However, these methods don’t work for children given their size, especially when it comes to their spine which doesn’t support their head during a crash. This is why children need more protection during a crash to keep them safe.A car seat reduces this force with a combination of side impact protection, a five-point harness and latch system – but only when they are used correctly!
Making sure your child is protected
These steps are absolutely key and the infographic covers:
- Installation: Basic steps to follow as you install a car seat, such as checking the recline angle and testing the tightness of the seat. These instructions will vary depending on the car seat so always make sure to follow manufacturer guidelines.
- Harnessing: How to harness a car seat depending on whether it’s front facing or rear facing. For example, for rear-facing seats, the harness slot should be at or just below the shoulders.
- Front facing vs. rear facing: With 72% of serious crashes occurring from the front of the vehicle, experts say that a rear-facing car seat can reduce injury. This is because a rear-facing seat distributes the impact force more evenly over the child’s back and neck during a front facing collision.
I hope you find this useful and put these steps into practice the next time you go for a ride with the family. Stay safe.
