Car Seat Safety For Kids: 6 Common Mistakes To Avoid
Car Seat Safety For Kids
Keeping our children safe is one of the essential responsibilities of a parent. That said, there are many safety measures that a parent can observe for this purpose. But there are also pitfalls that some parents can step into during this process.
It may be easy to assume that something made for protecting children should do its job accordingly, which is the mindset that fails parents and their children. Safety devices like car seats are only as safe as the person operating them, which is why there are a few common mistakes to avoid when using them. Read on to know them.
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The Car Seat Isn’t Secured Safely
Each car seat model will have precise instructions on correctly installing the seat. Unfortunately, many parents make the huge mistake of thinking they can figure it out on their own, and in the process, they may miss a step or two.
Evidence gathered from the scenes of accidents involving minor children in car seats shows that 46% of car and booster seats are used incorrectly. Because of this, many serious injuries or deaths occur among young children.
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Placing The Straps Too Loosely
Children, especially young kids, may fight against their restraints and seem uncomfortable with their straps, but this is another one of the common mistakes parents make: they feel sorry for the child.
Parents’ feelings may cost them dearly when the straps are too loose and the child flies from the car seat during a collision. Instead, parents should ensure they correctly place the straps and buckle to keep their precious cargo safe during transport.
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Not Adhering To Safety Warnings
Most cars and car seats will have explicit warnings against installing the seat in the front of the vehicle, where active airbags could deploy in case of an accident. The force of the impact the airbag will make on the chair could cause severe head and neck injuries for a small child.
Rear-facing car seats are especially susceptible to this devastating impact, and some parents still choose to ignore the safety guidelines on their car and the chair, believing that something terrible may never happen to them. On the contrary, this has never been further from the truth.
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Forgetting About A Booster Seat
Children will grow and eventually become too big for a baby car seat. Parents should switch to a more appropriate chair for their kids at this stage. Part of the safety instructions on the chair or booster should be the height and weight restrictions for that specific model, and parents should adhere to these specifications to ensure that they travel safely.
For some parents, buying a booster seat isn’t top of their priority list, and they would opt to buckle their toddlers into the regular seatbelt of the car. They don’t understand that the belt design has height and weight restrictions. Too small children will slide out from under the seatbelt, making it a dangerous option without a booster seat.
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Manufacturers Recalled The Car Seat
Although it doesn’t happen often, there may be instances where the manufacturers recall a specific line of car seats that they discover have safety concerns. Planning and production could look flawless on paper, but only after clients start using the car seat may some flaws show through. Where children receive injuries during a car accident due to faulty safety equipment, parents could look into hiring a car accident lawyer to recover some of their damages. However, it may not be sufficient to console the loss of life.
As soon as the manufacturer discovers the problem, they will immediately send out notifications on their website and to their clients to inform them. Parents should regularly check for such warnings, especially when the brand is relatively new on the market.
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Using Seats Outside Of The Car
A car ride is, for the most part, rather soothing for young children, who may fall asleep within a few minutes of being on the road. Again, parents feel too sorry for waking their sleeping babies by taking them out of their seats when they arrive at their destination.
There is a valid reason why these chairs are called car seats, as their intended purpose is to only use them in a vehicle, not as a carrycot for a baby to sleep in for prolonged periods. It may be more convenient for tired parents with a busy lifestyle, but the car seat may cause health problems like breathing issues when parents use them for other purposes.
Wrapping It Up
A car seat could save a baby or young child from serious injury, but it is only safe when the person operating it does so responsibly. The correct use of a car chair should be the parents’ first concern when purchasing one for their child. Ensure to follow all the guidelines and warnings so everyone will arrive at their destination without problems along the way.