Warning, you may learn something here that could save a child's life!!!

MIMI K's CHILD SAFETY--AUTO SAFETY PAGE

# of visitors to this page since the Geocities/Yahoo merger =

Welcome to my Child Safety Seat and Auto Safety Page

Included are links to child safety seat and auto safety resources

The description of this page is:

Child Safety Seats andAuto Safety

Links to other Car Safety sites on the Web

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - General Information

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - Car Seat Recall

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety - Crash Test Info

Some Child Safety Seat and Car Safety FAQs

Are my child safety seats in tight enough?   Nine out of ten are not.  When you shake the seat, the car should almost shake with it.  This is for forward-facing seats, especially when tethers are used, which is highly recommended.

You have to actually kneel into a toddler seat with your body weight to take the "cush" out of the seat cushion.  With an infant seat the "cush" is taken-out with hand pressure.

To learn more about proper car seat installation look here.......

You may also contact your local fire or law enforcement agency.  They may have a policy of training their people in proper child safety seat installation

Are my seat belts or child safety seats safe after my car has been in a crash?   Once a seat belt or a child safety seat has been involved in a crash then it should be replaced.  The webbing is designed to be shock loaded only once in it's lifetime.  You may to convince your insurance company to pay for the replacement, but it's worth asking for.

Is it OK to buy a child safety seat from a consignment shop?   If you do not know the history of a child safety seat then do not use it.  If you have one like this in use, you'd better replace it.  Also if a seat is more than six years old it should not be used.  The plastic shell degrades over time with exposure to heat and ultra-violet light.  This aging can creat microfractures and make the seat brittle.  Such a seat would most likely fail in a motor vehicle crash.  For these reasons child safety seat manufacturers are now putting expiration dates on their seats.

What do I do if I am unable to afford a child safety seat?   If you need a new car seat and are short of funds, contact your local health department for information on free seats.

When should I turn my child around?   Some car seat manufacturers are still saying to move your child from an infant seat (rear-facing) to a toddler seat (forward-facing) at 20 pounds.  But NHTSA and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now suggesting that parents wait until the child is a full one year-old before making that switch.  If the child exceeds the weight limit of the infant seat then a convertible toddler seat can be used.  They can be installed in a rear-facing fashion until the child is one.

Remember to always maintain that 45 degree angle with an infant. If the seats in the car have any slope to them then you may have to use a rolled towel or foam noodles to fill the void space that can develop during installation.  Leaving such a void space unfilled could be . . .

Which car seats are the safest?   (1) - those that fit the child, (2) - those that fit the car, (3) - those that can be easily used by parents, and (4) - those that will be used properly every time. Specifically, five point restraint systems are the best on the market at this time.  All child safety seats sold in the USA meet FMVSS 213.  If that's not enough information for you then you can get the opinion of Consumer's Union.  They now have a website...

What is the safest way for a child between 40 and 80 pounds to ride?   While most state laws don't require children over 40 pounds to be in a child safety seat, the laws of physics do.  Because of immaturity of the pelvis, it is highly recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that these children be placed in booster seats.  Belt-positioning boosters will work in some situations, but where additional whiplash protection is needed this requires that it be in the form of a high-back booster

How can I tell when my child is no longer in need of the booster seat?   Children may be able to use the lap and shoulder belt properly prior to 80 pounds.  (1) They must be able to sit in the car with their rear ends all the way back in the seat, while at the same time being able to comfortably bend their legs. If their thighs are not long enough for this then it is too soon.  How soon this requirement is met will vary with each vehicle.  (2) The lap belt should fit properly across the hips or upper thighs--it must not ride up on the abdomen.  (3) The shoulder belt should fall across the middle of the collar bone and it should not cut across the neck or the face.

WOULD YOU LIKE A KNUCKLE SANDWICH?

Should I still drive with my hands at ten and two O'clock on the steering wheel--I see people going down the road with their knuckles showing all the time?

It may be news to you that if you have an airbag, you could injure your hands, arms, and face unnecessarily in a crash, especially if you are elderly and have osteoporosis.  Check your vehicle owner's manual -- it may tell you to put your hands on the bottom half of the steering wheel.  Take a look at your car's steering wheel. It is most likely designed in such a way that would suggest you hold it at around four and eight O'clock.  With your hands low, should the airbag go off, your arms will be clear of the deployment.

I am a firefighter, paramedic and father of three living and working in northern Virginia, U.S.A.  I hold a degree in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and was once a licensed daycare provider.  I have been in the life saving business since 1981.  Over-the-years, I have seen many child injuries and illnesses that could have been prevented. That is why I've made this web site -- to increase awareness about what can be done to prevent injury and illness to children all around the world.

Don't forget to buckle up, everyone!!

You may e-mail me at the address below, if you have any questions about child safety or auto safety.  Please comment on my Web site and feel free to suggest any improvements (including corrections in grammar and spelling).   Thank you and don't forget to play it safe!

© 1997-2003 please report bad links mkonoza@cox.net

My Home Page

Return to