Baby Care: Car Seat Safety Tips

One of the most important things you can ever learn about baby care is how to keep your baby safe in the car. Baby car seats are designed to help protect your baby from serious injury in the event of an accident. In many cases, the baby car seat has saved a life when there was a baby in a car accident. This is why most states have laws regarding babies in car seats up to a certain age or weight. It is also the law that all children under the age of 12 should ride in the back seat, where it is safest.

From the very first time you bring your baby home from the hospital, you will need to have a car seat. Most hospitals today will even check your car seat and be sure you have one before you are allowed to leave the hospital with your baby.

Here are some additional car seat safety tips to be sure you are giving your baby the maximum protection while riding in a motor vehicle:

• Never go anywhere with your baby not in a car seat- not even a block away (most accidents occur right near the home)
• Never use a car seat in a front seat with air bags- back seats are always safest for your baby
• Be sure your car seat is updated and meets today’s safety standards and regulations
• Always be sure your car seat is properly installed – many fire, rescue and police stations will check this for free for you
• Infants should be in a rear-facing infant seat until they weigh 20 pounds or are 1 year old
• After one year of age and up to 40 pounds, your child should still remain in a forward facing safety car seat
• Children under the age of eight should not ride in a car without a booster seat unless they are more than 4 feet, 9 inches tall
• When installing the car seat, always use the manufacturer’s instructions. If you no longer have them, you can call, email or look online for a replacement
• Always fully inspect second-hand car seats to be sure they are not broken, damaged or missing pieces

When you follow these baby care car seat safety tips, you can rest easy knowing that your baby is safe in your car when you have to drive around. Combine this with a respect for and knowledge of driving safety laws and you will be giving your baby the best chance of remaining safe while you travel. You’re also instilling good safety habits that will remain with your child as he or she grows older as well.

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