To Restrain or Not
To Restrain
Florida law requires all children under six years of age
to be properly restrained while riding in a vehicle.
Children through age three must be secured in a separate
safety seat or a vehicle's integrated safety seat.
Children aged 4-5 must be properly restrained in either
a safety seat or a vehicle safety belt. Drivers are
responsible for buckling up the child. The cost to a
violator is currently $149 and 3 points on the driver's
license.
The following information is provided by the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA"):
Fact:
In a 30 m.p.h. crash (which is much slower than most of
us drive to the grocery store!), an unrestrained child
is thrown forward with a force similar to falling from a
three story building.
Fact:
Holding a 25 pound child in a 30 m.p.h. crash is like
trying to catch a 750 pound block of cement. Holding a
child on your lap puts the child in a position to be
crushed between you and the dashboard.
When properly installed, child safety seats save lives.
The NHTSA estimates that child safety seats reduce the
risk of fatal injury by 69% for infants and by 47% for
toddlers (ages 1-4).
Selecting and Installing Your Safety Seat
When selecting your safety seat, make certain the seat
meets federal safety standards and is compatible with
your vehicle. Test it in your vehicle. If you are unable
to install the seat securely, call the manufacturer
and/or your vehicle manufacturer for assistance. If you
continue to have problems, return the seat for a model
that is more compatible with your vehicle. Remember:
this is not a one-size-fits-all product.
When shopping for a new automobile, take your safety
seat with you. If you are unable to install the seat
securely, you have two options: 1) you may need to
consider a different auto, or 2) be aware that the
purchase of a new safety seat (compatible with the
vehicle you will be purchasing) may be necessary.
When installing your safety seat,
READ YOUR VEHICLE OWNER'S GUIDE
and the instructions provided from the safety seat
manufacturer carefully. Follow these instructions. A
seat improperly installed will not protect your child.
Because the features of both vehicles and safety seats
vary greatly, there are no standard instructions
regarding installation. However, the NHTSA offers the
following tips that apply to all:
Children belong in the back seat. All safety seats
should be installed in the back.
To work properly, the safety seat must be held tightly
with the vehicle's safety belt. To make it tight, push
the safety seat down into the seat padding while you
tighten the belt around it. Pushing down on it with your
knee will help to get a really tight fit.
Test your seat. Pull on the seat and push it hard from
side to side. If the belt loosens and lets your safety
seat move, your child may not be protected well.
Check that your vehicle seat belt locks. Pull the belt
out and let it go back slightly. Then pull it out
gently. If it locks, you have a seatbelt that will hold
the safety seat tightly. If not, you will need another
mechanism that will keep your belt tight, such as a
locking clip (refer to your vehicle owner's handbook).
If a locking clip is needed, many car dealerships give
the clips away for free.
The Chronology of the Safety Seat
Ages 0-1: The Rear Facing Infant (or Convertible) Seat
Most of us know that a newborn should ride in a rear
facing infant safety seat. What we may not be aware of
is that a baby should ride facing rearward until they
are one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. Even if
your six-month-old meets the twenty-pound criteria, the
child should remain in a rear facing infant seat until
the age of one. According to Barbara Powell, Traffic
Safety Specialist at the State of Florida Department of
Transportation, the child's neck and spine structure is
not developed enough to keep an infant safe in a front
facing car seat until around the age of one. Therefore,
your child is better protected if he remains in the
infant seat. Additional points to remember about a rear
facing infant seat are:
-
NEVER place a rear facing infant seat in the front
seat or near an airbag.
-
A
snug harness is important. In a crash, the shoulder
straps hold your baby down in the safety seat.
-
A
clip is typically used to keep the straps on your
baby's shoulders. Keep the clip at mid chest
(armpit) level.
-
To
help support the baby's head, the seat should
recline somewhat, but not more than a 45 degree
angle. If needed, a rolled up towel can be placed
under the seat to achieve this recline.
Ages 1-4: The Front Facing Safety Seat
It is often an exciting and much anticipated change to
place your child in a front facing seat. A safety seat
of this kind will be used for several years - when your
child weighs 20-40 pounds and is typically between the
ages of 1-4. Tips to remember include:
-
If
the seat converts from a reclining infant seat,
adjust it to sit upright when it is used facing
forward.
-
Again, NEVER place the child in the front seat or
near an airbag.
-
Move harness straps to the top-most slots when the
seat is faced forward. (The NTHSA recommends the
middle setting found on many convertible seats
should not be used when the seat faces forward,
primarily because the harness straps should be at or
above shoulder level when the seat is faced
forward). NOTE OF CAUTION: When moving the straps
up, be sure to follow the manufacturer's
instructions carefully. It is important that the
straps be threaded and secured correctly in order to
provide proper restraint for your child. If done
incorrectly, the straps may come loose in a crash
and may not protect your child.
When does your child outgrow the safety seat and when is
it no longer needed? Typically, this occurs when a child
is four, although the following criteria should also be
met:
-
When the child is age four and weighs at least 40
pounds.
-
When the safety seat's harness is too short when
fully extended.
-
When the child's ears reach the top of the safety
seat.
-
When these criteria are met, your child is ready to
move to a car booster seat, or a vehicle safety belt
that fits well.
Ages 4+ (and 40 pounds+): The Booster Seat
The NHTSA recommends children use a booster seat instead
of the auto's safety belt for the following reasons:
-
Most 40 pound children are not tall enough for a
combination lap and shoulder belt to fit properly.
-
Many young children will not sit still enough to
keep lap belts low on their hips. Belts that ride up
on their tummies can be hazardous.
-
Boosters are comfortable for children because they
allow their legs to bend normally. In addition, they
enable the child to gain a better view out the
window.
There are primarily three types of acceptable booster
seats:
-
A
booster without a shield is used with a vehicle's
lap/shoulder belt. Because raising the child up in
the booster seat improves the belt's fit, they are
called "belt-positioning" boosters. These give
better protection than boosters with shields.
-
A
booster seat with a high back rest. A child's head
should be supported by the seat back of the vehicle.
If the tops of the child's ears extend above the
seat back, a booster with a high back should be used
to protect the child's neck.
-
Realize that a seat with a lap belt only is not
safe. However, when this is the only alternative, a
forward-facing seat designed to restrain/harness
over 40 lbs is recommended - ideally with an
internal harness such as the Britax Super Elite, or
a supplemental harness such as those produced by EZ-on
Products (ezonpro.com).
Note: Booster seats with shields
are no longer recommended by most safety professionals.
Note also that the intent of this article is not to
recommend one specific car seat or booster. Rather, the
intent is to provide the reader with information to make
an educated choice. Many law enforcement agencies have
public education departments who will gladly help you
make that choice to help ensure the safest seat for your
child.
How long should a booster seat be used? The simple
answer is, until the vehicle belt fits properly.
According to the NHTSA, usually kids over 80 pounds and
eight years old can fit correctly in a vehicle's
lap/shoulder belt. Try the belt on from time to time as
your child grows taller. Keeping the belt snug, the lap
belt should fit low on the hips and over the child's
upper thighs. The shoulder belt should cross (and remain
on) the shoulder, close to the chest. NEVER put a
shoulder belt under the child's arm so it crosses the
lower chest. This could cause serious injury. If the
shoulder belt fits so badly that it hooks under the
child's chin or goes across the face, continue using a
booster seat.
A Word About Airbags
Airbags save lives. Or, to further qualify this
statement, airbags save adult lives when used properly.
Children should never be placed in the front seat. This
was true before airbags, and it is especially true with
airbags. Studies have continually proven children are
safest in the back seat. Airbags and children can be a
deadly combination. We all know how tempting it is to
place that cute little bundle-of-joy in the seat next to
you, so you can play with the baby and look at his sweet
face as you drive. But don't! The Children's Hospital of
Philadelphia reveals that if the passenger is in close
proximity to the airbag or is unrestrained, the airbag
(which deploys at 140-200 m.p.h.) will make contact with
the passenger. This image alone - and the potential
damage this force would do to your child - should be
enough to deter an adult from EVER taking a chance in
placing a child near an airbag.
Newer automobiles, particularly those vehicles without a
back seat, may come equipped with an on/off switch for
the passenger side airbag. Even so, children should NOT
be placed in the front seat. With the hectic rituals
involved in loading children into the car, it is all too
easy to forget to turn that switch off after an adult
passenger occupies the seat. The first known infant
fatality of this nature occurred in 1998 in Ohio and
involved the crash of a pickup truck equipped with an
on/off switch. An infant in a rear facing seat lost his
life because the switch had not been turned off. The
Associated Press reported "the child seat was almost
destroyed from the air bag." Regardless of the inherent
dangers of a mistake such as this, the back seat is -
and always has been - the safest place for children.
Ideally, older children should also be placed in the
back. The U. S. government safety agency recommends that
children up to age 13 ride in the back seat. If this is
not possible, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
and the NHTSA warns it is essential to adjust the seat
so it's as far back as possible. Then remember to secure
the child in a properly fitting lap/shoulder belt.
Children should also sit back in their seats, not
perched on the edge (as far away from the airbag as
possible).
So, in a short period of time, an infant safety seat,
toddler safety seat, and a booster seat may join the
other early childhood paraphernalia in the attic, or may
become a hot selling item at next year's garage sale.
But for your child's safety - and for your own peace of
mind - it's an investment well worth it.
Additional Resources
For specific questions regarding integrated vehicle
seats, safety seat compatibility, or instructions
regarding proper placement/installation of a safety
seat, contact the vehicle manufacturer:
Buick 1-800-521-7300
Cadillac 1-800-458-8006
Chevrolet 1-800-222-1020
Ford 1-800-392-3673
GMC 1-800-462-8782
Honda 1-800-800-6134
Oldsmobile 1-800-442-6537
Pontiac 1-800-762-2737
Saturn 1-800-553-6000
Toyota 1-800-331-4331
For additional information, contact your State Safety
Office at the Department of Transportation.
