Note: The owners of this website are not safety technicians, or in any other way affiliated with the carseat or child safety industry, and shall not be liable for any injury which results from the use or non-use of any of the below information. This article was written by Kelly Parker.

Attachment Parenting :: Articles :: Carseat Safety Tips

Due to the majority of people stating that their pediatricians have given incorrect recommendations, and the number of people who still do not understand the importance of keeping an infant rear facing as long as possible, I know now that my work is cut out for me more than ever. Contrary to what any one of you may believe, this is how it should work; if you want to give your child the greatest chance at living through an accident, you should keep this in mind:

An infant carrier is best from birth to 20 or 22 pounds (whichever the highest weight limit on the seat is, or until they outgrow the height maximum...all of this info is on a label on the side of your seat..READ IT.) Once the child outgrows this seat, they should ride in a convertible seat rear facing until they are ****AT LEAST**** ONE YEAR OLD (NO EXCEPTIONS). Then this is where you make the decision on whether or not you want to do the safest thing for your child or the convenient thing. A child is safest staying rear facing as long as possible, there are many seats out there that rear face to 30 and even 35 pounds now. We would all be safer if we could face backwards, this is true and proven. Yes, parents say it all the time "It's a pain to keep them backward", "My child doesn't like it", " I can't see my baby". However, to me these are just excuses. At 30 or 35 pounds when that rear facing weight limit runs out or the height limit runs out, as long as they are over one year, then you should turn the convertible seat to face forward being very careful that you read where the harness straps should be positioned (in the very top slots for most convertible seats) and keep your child in this convertible seat until it's forward facing limit is reached, usually 40 pounds.

Then you should purchase a high back booster seat and put your child in that using a lap/shoulder belt only and keep him in that until you exceed the weight limit or your child is able to sit properly in an adult seatbelt. This usually does not happen until around 80 pounds or 8 years of age. I know a 60 pound 9 year old who is still in a booster, so it varie from child to child. When your child can sit with his butt against the seat crack, not slouching, knees bent over the edge of the seat, feet on the floor with the lap belt low on the hips and the shoulder belt not across the neck, then he is ok to use a lap/shoulder belt. Do not use shield boosters (the kind where the shield comes over your child's lap), children can be ejected from them in a rollover crash. The only time it is acceptable to use this seat is if you have lap belts only in all rear seating positions and your child is between 30 and 40 pounds (because the shield cannot be used beyond this weight limit, it must be removed after 40 pounds). When at all possible, have your rear seat retrofitted with shoulder belts.

You now know if you are reading this what is safest. What you do with your child is up to you, but remember that you're the parent and if the child cries when he's backward, oh well, he'll get over it. I would rather have a crying child in my car than a limp body that I am doing CPR on because his neck snapped so severely in a frontal crash that his spinal cord is now severed. I am a paramedic, I have been there, and believe me you do not want to be there. You can ask any of the parents of the children who have died as a result of being misinformed by their pediatrician, or who were uneducated about the use of car seats, or who simply did not want to restrain their children (because their kid wouldn't sit in a car seat).

There is no excuse that will bring their child back, and they know that and want you to know that. Look on the AAP (www.aap.org) website or the NHTSA (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) website. There is proof that one year old is the general age when most children's spinal columns are developed enough to withstand a frontal crash. For the parents who say "every kid is different": that may be true, but wouldn't you want to err on the side of keeping them backwards too long vs. not long enough and risk endangering your child's life? I have put children in body bags and watched families being torn apart before my very eyes. Please restrain your children properly in the BACK seat. Children under 12 should never ride in the front seat, unless there are no other options (all seats are taken). If a child must ride in the front and there is an airbag, please deactivate the airbag or make sure the seat is as far back as possible with your child restrained properly and do not allow them to lean forward toward the dash.

NEVER under any circumcstances put a rear-facing infant in front with an airbag, even for a short ride. Airbags can deploy in a parking lot fender bender if the sensors are hit. Don't think it can't happen to you. That's what everyone thinks until they are faced with a tragic situation.

Please be sure every person in your vehicle is buckled on EVERY SINGLE RIDE. It does no good to your children if they are safely restrained, and you are ejected and killed because you were unrestrained.

Drive safe, kids in the BACK, and always set the example...buckle up!

How to Adjust Your Carseat Straps

The harness straps on a child who is rear facing must be at or below the child's shoulder level, and when a child is forward facing, the straps have to be at or above the child's shoulder level, however, on most seats, this means they have to be routed through the upper most set of slots on a convertible car seat. This set of slots are the only ones that are reinforced.

If the harness is routed in the lower slots when forward facing, the harness may rip through the back of the seat in a crash causing serious injury or death to the child.

To tighten the straps, make sure the child is sitting all the way back against the seat and not slouching. Place the harness straps appropriately making sure they center over the child's shoulders, and if a five point harness, then the bottom two straps go over the child's thighs. Make sure the straps are not twisted or folded, as this can also cause injury in a crash. After the harness is buckled, tighten the straps so that only one finger can fit between the child's upper chest (just below his collar bone) and the strap; if you can fit two fingers vertically, the harness is too loose, keep tightening. Don't worry about it being too tight on a small baby, as the smaller they are, the more easily they can slip out, so it has to be snug.

Once the harness is tightened, position the harness retainer clip (chest clip) at the child's armpit level, never lower! The retainer clip's job is to keep the harness straps correctly positioned to hold your child in a crash.

Also, remember not to wrap small babies in blankets and then try and strap them in. Always have all extremities exposed, buckle securely, and then cover with blankets if you need to. Also, minimize the amount of clothing you have on all children. Do not use bulky snow suits in the car, dress warmly in thin layers. The more material you have between the child and the straps, the looser the harness actually is and this material can compress under great force and cause injury.