Car Seat Safety
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Best practice guidelines/Wisconsin law
| Type of seat |
Wisconsin law |
Best practice |
|
Rear-facing car seat |
Children must be rear-facing in a car seat until age 1 and 20 pounds. |
Children should stay rear-facing as long as possible. Studies now recommend children stay rear-facing until age 2. |
|
Forward-facing harness seat |
Once a child is in a forward-facing car seat, he or she must remain
in a harness until age 4 and 40 pounds. |
New seats on the market allow higher harness weights up to
50-80 pounds, allowing children to stay in a harness longer.
Children are much better protected when restrained in a harness. |
|
Booster seat |
A booster seat is required once a child has graduated from a forward-facing harness seat, until the child reaches one of the following:
8 years old or 80 pounds or 4 feet and 9 inches tall. |
Children should stay in a booster seat until they are tall enough to sit on the vehicle seat without slouching and the seat belt fits snugly across the hips, chest and shoulder. |
|
Safety belt |
A seat belt is required once a child has outgrown the requirements of a booster seat. |
A seat belt is required once a child has outgrown the requirements of a booster seat. |
|
Front seat |
If there is a back seat, children 4 and younger need to be restrained appropriately in the back seat. |
Children 12 and younger should sit in the back seat. |
Each year, more than 272,000 children age 14 and younger are injured in traffic-related accidents in this country. Another 1,765 die. Traffic accidents are the most common cause of injury to children nationwide.
Often, injuries occurred or were made more severe because children were not properly restrained in the car.
Seat belts and car seats save lives if they are used properly and at all times. Many states have laws requiring everyone to wear a seat belt or be restrained in a car seat when riding in a vehicle. In Wisconsin, children under the age of 4 must be restrained in a child car seat. From 4 to 8 years old, children must be restrained in the vehicle seat belt or a car seat.
But using car seats and seat belts is not enough. Car seats save children's lives, but only if they are used correctly. Secure your child's car seat tightly in the car with a seat belt. If the car seat is loose and moves, your child may not be protected. Make sure you have a copy of the manufacturer's instruction booklet for your child's car seat and follow the instructions.
Infants should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are both one year old and at least 20 pounds. "Infant-only" seats are designed for rear-facing only. Larger, "convertible" seats fit children from birth to about four years old or 40 pounds. These seats can be used rear-facing during the first year, and turned around to face the front when children are over one year old and 20 pounds.
When a child weighs more than 40 pounds or the child's shoulders are above the top set of strap slots in the car seat, it is time for a booster seat. Booster seats fit children up to 80 pounds and must be used with vehicle lap and shoulder belts. They protect the child's upper body with the shoulder belt. The booster also raises the child so the lap/shoulder belt fits correctly. A high back booster or platform booster is preferred. If your car has only lap belts in the rear, a booster seat with a shield is the next recommended choice. When using a booster seat, make certain the child's head is not higher than the back of the car's seat. If it is, switch to the seat belts.
Once you switch your child to seat belts, remember that a lap/shoulder belt offers more protection than a lap belt alone. The shoulder belt prevents forward motion of the child in a head-on crash.
Certainly, a lap belt is better than no seat belt at all. It is important, however, that a child wear a lap belt correctly. Place the lap belt snugly over the child's upper thighs. Do not place the lap belt over the child's stomach, as this could result in severe abdominal and spinal injuries in an accident.
Placing a lap belt on the upper thighs applies to adults, as well.
If your car has only lap belts in the rear seat, you should consider installing lap/shoulder belts. Many cars with lap belts can be retrofitted with shoulder belts for a small cost. Check with your car's manufacturer.
A lap/shoulder belt offers the best protection for you and your child. But even a lap/shoulder belt cannot protect a person if it is not used correctly. Fit is the key word. A shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder and may touch the base of the neck. If the shoulder belt crosses the child's face or neck, the child can slide under the shoulder harness in a sudden stop.
To adjust the shoulder belt placement on your child, you can:
- Lower the belt height adjuster (built into newer vehicle models).
- Use a shoulder belt extender, available through auto dealers for various makes of cars.
- Use a belt-position adjuster to realign the shoulder belt.
- Adjust the seat forward or back, but do not recline it.
- Move the child closer to the center of the seat.
- Place the child in a booster seat.
- Never place the shoulder belt behind your child or under the child's arm.
Some children do not like to be restrained in a car. If they unbuckle the restraints, pull over immediately, stop the car and refasten the restraints. Many school buses are not equipped with seatbelts. Teach your children to always remain seated when riding in a school bus.
Remember to always buckle up when you are in the car, no matter how far you travel. You set the example for your children.
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