Children & Carseats: Keeping Kids Safe While Traveling
When traveling with children, doing so safely will require a car seat. Selecting a safe and functional car seat for newborns, toddlers, and children is incredibly important for a child’s safety. Not to mention, it’s the law! Parents know that a standard seat belt is not suitable for an infant or toddler. As they grow, how they sit in your car will change. Read on for additional information to help you add safety to your travel plans.
Types of Car Seats
There are different types of car seats, with corresponding guidelines for each. Each state may have specific guidelines, so it is recommended you reach out to your local law enforcement or pediatrician for details.
Rear-Facing Car Seat
The best seat for your young child (birth to year 3) to use. It has a harness and, in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord. There are three types of the rear-facing car seat: an infant car seat (rear-facing only), a convertible seat, and an all-in-one seat.
Forward-Facing Car Seat
Intended for an older (year 1 to year 7) child, this seat has a harness and tether that limits your child’s forward movement during a crash. There are three types of the forward-facing car seat: a convertible seat, a combination seat, and an all-in-one seat.
Booster Seat
Older kids (year 4 to year 12) depending on their size may need to be lifted so the seat belt fits properly over the stronger parts of your child’s body. There are four types of booster seats: booster seat with high back, backless booster seat, combination seat, and an all-in-one seat.
Relying only on the vehicle’s seat belt means the fit should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain your child safely in a crash. It should not rest on the stomach area or across the neck or face.
Winter Coats in Car Seats
Bundling up for cold weather helps children brave the elements, but a bulky coat can decrease effectiveness of a car seat. Follow these tips to keep kids warm and safe when traveling this winter.
Puffy Coat Check
Generally, winter coats should not be worn underneath a car seat harness because that can leave the harness too loose to be effective in a crash. How do you know if the coat is too big? There are two simple steps to follow:
- Put the coat on your child, sit him or her in the car seat and fasten the harness. Tighten the harness until you can no longer pinch any of the webbing with your thumb and forefinger.
- Without loosening the harness at all, unhook it and remove your child from the car seat. Take the coat off, put your child back in the car seat, and buckle the harness straps, which should be adjusted just as they were when the child was wearing the coat. If you can pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger now, then the coat is too bulky to be worn under the harness.
Bundle Up Without the Bulk
If you find that the coat can't be safely worn under the harness, some tips to keep kids warm in another way:
- For young children, use aftermarket covers (essentially fitted blankets) designed to give additional warmth that are approved by the car-seat manufacturer for your specific car seat. Such covers have been tested with the seat and won't compromise your child's safety.
- For a bigger child, after securing him or her in the car seat, turn the coat around and put it on backward (with arms through the armholes), so the back of the coat serves as a blanket resting on top of the harness.
One of the most common problems with a child car seat is that the harness is left too loose, and wearing a big winter coat can be just one of the causes. It's important that the harness is tight enough so that you can't pinch the webbing between your thumb and forefinger. Extra slack in the harness can let the child move to the point where he or she is beyond the protection of the car seat, perhaps even being ejected during a crash.
