You will be shocked to find out that out of five, four safety seats are used incorrectly. National Safe Kids Campaign conducted in Washington, D.C further pointed out that on the average three mistakes per seat have been reported. In 2001 alone, approximately 500 babies were killed in car crashes, among which 200 were using car safety seats designed to save lives. Khaleej Times reports, “child deaths as a result of car accidents accounted for 7.7 per cent of the 712 people killed, thus, estimating that one child died each week.”
Such stats raise alarm for parents, but the question is what you can do to prevent such unprecedented events.
Economy is going through tough times; not just daddies, mommies are also working hard to stay on the bills. While baby-sitting is doable, eventually you might find yourself stuck in a situation where you will have to take the baby with you in your car. Few mothers may even involve routine outback. No escape, you have to deal with it. There are ways to ensure safety while driving your child to your destination, but more than methods, mistakes should be highlighted, because if you know your errors you can alleviate unwanted outcomes.
Loose car seats
I would rather not enumerate how this is a mistake. Before putting your baby in the car, test the seat if it is loose. Move it back & forth and sideways, make sure it’s fixed into the place with flexibility of not more than an inch. If the car seat is too loose it will fly right into back of front seat if God-forbid you hit something in a head-on collision. It’s a terrible mistake parents make. It doesn’t matter how fast you have to reach to your destination, attend safety checklist first.
Loose harness
The harness holds the baby in the seat and in case it loosens up, your child could slip out (I will not repeat in course of an accident) of the safety seat. The good way to check on harness is placing the baby into position and holding the fabric of harness in between fingers. It is loose if you are able to get a grip.
Improperly locked slots
Most car safety seats offer three harness slots and they work like a tripod, where failure of one slot will make others useless for protection.
Direction of safety Seat
For children below two years of age, safety inspectors recommend car safety seats be faced towards the rear of the vehicle. A biological fact is that youngsters have softer bones than adults. If a safety seat is facing forward, a sharp jab can produce intolerable stress on the neck of the baby.
Angle of the car safety seats
Again, for children as young as two, angle of the seat matters. Their head is proportionally heavier and narrower trachea (airway). Even if you have seat directed backwards, incorrect angle can lean infant’s head forward blocking the airway in the process. Usually, baby seats have built-in level that will indicate if tilting is not appropriate, which always should be 45 degrees.
Retainer clips
Incorrectly positioned retainer clips give way to loose straps, finally slipping them off from the child’s shoulders. Make sure they are fixed at armpit level, tightly holding the chest. Provide soft clothing under the clip if you are afraid it is hurting the baby.
Booster seats
If the weight of your baby is between forty to eighty pounds which is usually at the fourth year of growth period, you should use booster safety seat. The advantage of booster seats is that they hold the kids a little higher, so the seat belt is gripped tightly. Remember, adult seat belts cannot replace the benefits of booster, they spread across the child at wrong pressure points (e.g neck, belly), which can damage internal organs. Booster seats have wider straps and provide better support and comfort.