American Academy of Pediatrics - Car Safety Seats

Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2008
One of the most important jobs you have as a parent is keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle. Each year thousands of young children are killed or injured in car crashes. Proper use of car safety seats helps keep children safe. But with so many different car safety seats on the market, it’s no wonder many parents find this overwhelming.

The type of seat your child needs depends on several things including age, size, and type of vehicle. To be sure your child is using the most appropriate seat, read on.

The right car safety seat

Infants-rear-facing
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should ride rear-facing starting with their first ride home from the hospital until they have reached at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. It is even better for them to ride rear-facing until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.

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

Toddlers and preschoolers-forward-facing
Once your child is at least 1 year of age and weighs at least 20 pounds, she can ride forward-facing. However, it is best for her to ride rear-facing to the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer of her car safety seat. She should ride in a forward-facing seat with a harness until she outgrows it (usually at around 4 years of age and about 40 pounds).

There are 5 types of car safety seats that can be used forward-facing.

School-aged children-booster seats
Booster seats are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing car safety seats. A child has outgrown his forward-facing seat when one of the following is true:
-He reaches the top weight or height allowed for his seat with a harness. (These limits are listed on the seat and are also included in the instruction booklet.)
-His shoulders are above the top harness slots.
-His ears have reached the top of the seat.

If you need installation help
If you have questions or need help installing your car safety seat, find a certified CPS Technician. A list of certified CPS Technicians is available by state or ZIP code on the NHTSA Web site at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/childps/contacts. A list of inspection stations - where you can go to learn how to correctly install a car safety seat - is available in English and Spanish at www.seatcheck.org or toll-free at 866/SEATCHECK (866/732-8243). You can also get this information by calling the toll-free NHTSA Auto Safety Hotline at 888/DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236) from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ET, Monday through Friday.

Copyright © 2008 American Academy of Pediatrics