Are You Using Your Child’s Car Seat Correctly?

The worst thing a parent can face is the death of their own child. Sadly, auto accidents are still the primary cause of death for children in this nation. While you might consider yourself to be a safe driver and don’t foresee being in a traffic accident in Florida, collisions can happen in an instant—even involving safe drivers.

For this reason, it is critical that you know how to use car seats properly. While you may have had your car seat inspected when you brought your infant home from the hospital, you might not be using it correctly anymore, as laws change as well as your child’s weight and height. In fact, a new study reveals that most parents don’t use car seats correctly. According to co-author Dr. Michelle Macy, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, many parents turn rear-facing car seats around to a forward-facing position at an earlier age than recommended.

Because we want your children to stay as safe as possible in the event of a wreck, make sure you aren’t making the following mistakes that many parents make with car seats, including:

Mistake #1: turning your child’s car seat around to a forward position before your child reaches the age of two-years-old. While many parents want to see their kids or think their child is too big to be rear-facing, studies have proven that the safest place for a child under two-years-old to be is in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat.

Mistake #2: using the LATCH system longer than recommended. Many parents don’t realize that the LATCH system is designed to secure children and car seats up to 65 pounds. This means that if your child and car seat reach a combined weight of 65 pounds, it is time to use the seat belt to secure the car seat.

Mistake #3: not switching from an infant car seat to a convertible car seat before your baby exceeds the weight and height limits. Parents need to know the height and weight limit of their infant car seat and keep tabs on their child’s height and weight specifications, in order to not allow their baby to exceed those limits.

Mistake #4: not securing the car seat properly with the use of the seat belt. Whether changing from the LATCH system to a seat belt or moving the car seat base into another vehicle, many parents do not secure the car seat base correctly. Make sure you read the recommendations by the manufacture and get your car seat inspected.

Mistake #5: not tightening the belt or fastening the buckle and clip of the car seat. Many parents are in a hurry to get out the door that they end up forgetting to tighten the car seat’s seat belt and adjust the chest clip. Before you start the car, give your child’s straps a tug and make sure the chest clip is fastened and adjusted correctly to ensure your child’s safety.

If your child has been injured or you suffered the horrific death of your child in a car accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, you need to seek the legal advice of an experienced personal injury attorney in Fort Lauderdale. Contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld at 866-9 HELP NOW or (954) 677-0155(954) 677-0155 to get your questions answered in a free consultation and learn about your rights to pursuing justice and just compensation.