Basic Car Seat Safety

It's a little bit terrifying to me, that people take the safety of their children for granted. Lately i've noticed a lot of people buckling their children into their car seats, with the shoulder straps sliding off of their shoulders, or loose, with a fluffy winter coat on, and with the chest clip down at tummy level. (sadly, car seats are used improperly 85% of the time)
There are some very basic car seat safety rules that we all should follow. I would only recommend following these guidelines, if you DON'T want your child to be seriously injured in a car accident, or ejected from their car seat.
When in a rear facing car seat:
-A 5 point harness is preferred, keep chest clip at armpit level and NOT on the neck or tummy.
-Harness strap slots should be at or BELOW the shoulders when rear facing, and at or ABOVE the shoulders when forward facing.
-You should only be able to fit 1 finger between the collar bone and the car seat strap. If you can fit more than 1 finger it is TOO LOOSE. 
-Car seat straps should not be loosened to accomodate a winter coat, which can compress in the event of a car accident, causing the child to be ejected from their seat, or at the very least, they will flop around in the seat.Here is a link, that shows how much looser car seat straps are, when worn with a winter coat. To test your own coat you can do the same thing, put the child in the car seat with the coat, and tighten the straps. Then remove the child and coat, put them back in the seat, to see how loose the straps are. 
-Newborns and infants should have a 45 degree maximum recline.
-You Must use a tether strap to anchor a forward facing seat. If your car does not have an anchor, you must have on installed.

We always use our car seat properly. Jackson never wears a winter coat in his car seat, and we live in Canada, where it sometimes gets very cold. I warm the car up before putting him in. He wears a sweater (thin fleece ones are awesome, very warm, and not puffy at all), and mittens and a hat, we wrap him up in a warm blanket to carry him out to the car. After putting him in his seat, we tuck the blanket in around him. It might be more work, but he's worth it. 

Winter Car Seat Safety

I wanted to share this article on winter car seat safety, from Canadian Parents, and Transport Canada. I found recently that a lot of people aren't aware of this car seat safety fact.

How to keep your little one safe and snug in his car seat this season

By Cara Miller

It's the time of year when Canadians are donning down-filled jackets and snowsuits to keep warm in the bitter cold. But did you know that the some winter outerwear can be dangerous if worn in a car seat? Read on for tips to keep your little one safe and snug this chilly season. 

The compression factor

When a child is placed in a car seat with a bulky jacket the harness straps are loosened to accommodate the thick material.  Even though the straps appear to be tight, in the event of a collision, the bulky jacket or snowsuit can become compressed, causing the child to be ejected from the car seat or incur injuries from the slack in the harness straps.

Transport Canada issues this warning: Bulky snowsuits can affect the harness with respect to additional compressibility. When using winter clothing, ensure the harness system is tight, compressing the material to ensure a snug fit. 

How safe are the insertable winter car seat bags that thread through the car seat's harnesses and are these safety-tested for use?

Transport Canada warns against using car seat bags: Any additional padding behind the child can induce both slack in the harness and additional compressibility. The Standard, which regulates children's restraint systems, only allows for a certain amount of compressibility in the foam and material used. By increasing this amount, during a collision the additional foam/material can compress to the point that the harness system becomes very loose and therefore no longer is capable of restraining the child. 

Child seat manufacturers state in their instructions not to use bulky clothing and never add anything between the shell of the restraint and the child. The padded car seat bag can re-route the harness system and add slack and increase compressibility. Check with the car seat manufacturer before using and ensure that the product does not compromise the harness routing path.

Also remember with all aftermarket products, there are no safety requirements applicable to these products in the Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Cushions Safety Regulations. All manufacturers of child restraint systems and/or infant restraint systems state not to use any product that did not come with the restraint system unless manufactured specifically for that seat by the manufacturer themselves. This would also include head huggers and strap covers.

What about toddlers and preschoolers?

Samantha Johnson, mother of three and a child restraint systems technician in Edmonton, says, “My four-year old son wears a sweater in his car seat, and we bring his coat along. Even though it seems like a pain, it’s best for your child to take his coat off once he’s in the car.

How do I know if my child's outerwear is too bulky?

Put your child in his car seat with his winter jacket on and fasten and tighten the harnesses. If you can fit more than one finger between the strap and your child’s collarbone once the jacket is removed, the straps are too loose and the coat is too bulky. Finding a thinner jacket specifically for use while in the car is the safest option and you can take along a heavier coat for when you need it out of the vehicle

Car Seat Safety

Why is rear-facing especially important for toddlers? (from; Canadian Parents.com)

In a collision a forward-facing toddler has a an immense amount of stress on their neck and spine due to size of their heads in proportion to their bodies. In the forces of a crash this can have grave consequences for a toddler and their still developing neck muscles and spine (a child's spine does not ossify/fuse until they are three to six years of age). The forces of a crash in a forward-facing seat could potentially cause internal decapitation as the child's head is thrust forward taking the brunt of the crash force. Rear-facing seats do an amazing job of protecting children as there is very little to no force being applied to their head, neck and spine. When a child is in a rear-facing car seat their head, neck and spine are all kept fully aligned while the seat absorbs the bulk of the crash force.

This diagram shows the difference in the way and infant/toddlers body is proportioned in comparison to an adult.

Rear-facing myths

from Carseat.se

There are quite a few reasons why people don’t keep children rear-facing longer. Many parents don’t know how much safer it is but some also rely on myths to turn their child forward-facing. A few of the common ones:

• My child’s legs are touching the vehicle seat which is dangerous: Research has show this is not the case. It’s not dangerous to have long legs or let them hang over the edge of the seat. Forward-facing children not exempt from lower extremity injuries either. “The lower extremity is among the most frequently injured body regions for children restrained by forward-facing child restraint systems, accounting for 28% of their clinically significant injuries, defined as AIS 2 and greater injuries excluding concussions.”.
• Kids get carsick when rear-facing: Not true. There are cases with children getting carsick while rear facing but it’s extremely rare.
• My child can’t see out the window while rear-facing: Children who have switched from an infant seat can see out the window just fine while rear-facing.
• Children hate to sit rear-facing: Not true.  A child who has been sitting forward-facing for years and is then turned back around might complain. A child who has been sitting rear-facing since the beginning rarely complain.
• I have to turn my child forward facing at 12 months,  it’s the law: There are laws saying how long parents must keep children rear-facing but none which regulate forward-facing.  A child should sit rear-facing for as long as possible. Those are guidelines which more countries are starting to follow.
• My 14 month-old-has a strong neck, I can turn her forward facing: Not a good idea. A rear-facing child is 500 percent safer than forward-facing. It may seem like the neck is strong but a collision with a child who is forward-facing puts tremendous force on the child’s head, neck and spine.
• My seat says I can forward-face at 20 pounds so that’s what I’m going to do: Not a good idea. Research has shown it’s far safer to stay rear-facing. Difference in safety are largest during the first 24 months.
• Rear-facing children are at increased risk for collision from the rear: Research has shown this is not the case. Collisions from the rear are rare, roughly 5% of accidents, and usually also less severe than frontal impacts. The guideline is that rear-facing children are as safe or safer in collisions from the rear.
• Rear-facing is a new thing with research just now becoming available: Not true. Sweden has been rear-facing children since 1965 and the huge benefits were known early on.
• Rear-facing is uncomfortable for my child: Older rear-facing children often sit with bent legs which is not uncomfortable. Notice how children sit when they play, almost never with legs straight out. It’s very rare hearing a child complain about leg problems while rear-facing.

Car Seat Safety

This is an excellent video, explaining and showing the difference in rear vs. forward facing in a car seat.  

This video shows the result of a child forward facing.

If i could, i'd keep Jackson rear facing until he's 30. Although, it may be hard for him to pick up chicks that way? In all seriousness though, rear facing is the SAFEST way for your baby/child to ride. I hope in posting this, i change at least one persons mind.

Expired Car Seats, Rear Facing vs. Forward Facing

This video shows first hand, the danger of using an expired car seat. Most car seats expires within 6 years of manufacture, but should have a sticker on the seat indicating the expiry. Don't take a chance with a child's life. (video is of a crash test dummy, not a real child)
You can see in the video, that the straps break, and the child is ejected from the seat.





I also wanted to share videos, showing the difference between a child rear facing in a crash (500% safer) vs. forward facing. I am keeping Jackson rear facing, until he outgrows the parameters of the seat. Ours can stay rear facing up to 35lbs and 32". Jackson is a pretty small guy, so hopefully he can stay rear facing until he's at least two. If i would have known more about car seats before, i would have purchased one that could stay rear facing even longer (some are up to 40lbs and 49") 

Car Seat Safety

I wanted to pass along this article, it is from The Stir, a Cafe Mom Blog. It talks about a lot of common mistakes made with car seats. I'm sure most people are lax about the basic car seat rules, because they're worried about the child being uncomfortable, they think they'll never get in an accident, or they want to save money by using an old car seat. In reality, the childs safety should be the number one concern.

9 Lifesaving Carseat Rules You're Probably Ignoring

By: Christie Haskell 

Now that you have a seat and it's safely installed (right?), the next step ismaking sure you're using the car seat correctly. After all, even the most expensive car seat, installed correctly, doesn't work at all if the baby isn't strapped in right.

So let's get started!

Rule #1: Make Sure Shoulder Straps Are in Proper Position 

When baby is rear-facing, the top of the shoulder straps have to be at or below the baby's shoulders. When forward-facing (which your baby shouldn't be), they need to be at or above. This is measured perpendicular (at a right angle) from the recline of the back of the seat, not from the ground. When in doubt, put a popsicle stick into the slot with your baby in the seat to check -- sometimes the fabric of the seat can make it hard to tell where the strap really is.

Rule #2: Rear-Facing Is the Responsible Choice

Unless your child has serious medical problems, they have to rear-face until they literally cannot anymore. With all the new, cheaper seats with 40-pound or higher rear-facing limits, it's possible for anyone to have a seat that will keep their child rear-facing until the bare minimum of 2 years old and 30 pounds, as per the AAP's improved guidelines. But as they state, 2 years is the bare minimum -- your child is still significantly safer rear-facing until you cannot fit them that way any longer. After all, it's 500 percent safer.

Children's heads are a significantly larger portion of their body than an adult's and their spines are initially cartilage -- not bone. In the event of an accident, if their overly large head pulls on the weak spine (which doesn't fuse and harden until around 4 years old), they will likely suffer from internal decapitation -- this means that the cartilage and spinal cord inside their neck snap and they die instantly. It takes a serious medical problem to make that risk worth forward-facing a toddler before you absolutely have to. (I don't want to scare anyone -- this is all to help us keep our kids as safe as we can.)

Rule #3: No Gaps Allowed Between Baby's Crotch/Groin Area and Harness

This is really only an issue with newborns, but an important one. If there is a gap between crotch and harness buckle, roll up a washcloth or receiving blanket and put it in a upside-down U shape, with the middle between baby's crotch and the harness and the rest lying flat between the legs. This is one of the only "add-ons" allowed. When in doubt, call the manufacturer.

Rule #4: Be Sure the Chest Clip Is Positioned Properly on the Chest

The chest clip belongs between the nipples and armpits. This positions the straps so your child doesn't fly out of the seat -- and can cause damage when placed anywhere else.

Rule #5: Know the Proper Guidelines for Outgrowing a Seat

Outgrowing a seat has nothing to do with legs touching the seat. There has never been a case of legs breaking from touching the seat and even if there were -- would you choose for your child to break their legs or their neck? Only one of those can be fixed. Your child has outgrown a seat in weight when they reach the max limit for that position. This is non-negotiable. When rear-facing, your child has outgrown their seat in height when there is less than an inch of the hard shell left at the top of the seat above your child's head. This is measured perpendicular to the seat's recline. However, there is a new seat that has different guidelines -- so be sure to read the manual for your seat!

See how the strap can be pinched? 
That means it's too loose.Rule #6: Straps Need to Pass "The Pinch Test"

The old rule of "two fingers under the chest clip" is outdated and resulted in straps that were way too loose. When straps are too loose, the child can fly out of the seat, or get stuck halfway and break god-knows-what.

The new rule is to first pull any slack tight from the lap-portion, and then pinch the straps at the collar bone (your fingers are pinching top-to-bottom as shown here). If you're able to pinch the strap, it's too loose.

Rule #7: Coats Are Not Allowed

A cop reports seeing a coat strapped into a seat, even after the child who had been wearing it flew out of it. Coats are not safe in car seats and almost all manufacturers have this rule in their manual as well. To understand why, place your child in a coat and put them in their seat and tighten the straps properly. Without loosening the straps, remove your child and remove their coat. Now place them back in the seat. That is how much room your child would have once the coat compressed under pressure, much like how you can squish a pillow if you sit on it. If there is more than a tiny bit of extra slack (like the difference between sweatpants and stretch pants), the coat is too bulky. Instead, try taking your child's coat off right before putting them in the seat, buckling them in quickly, and then putting their coat back on them backward. I also keep blankets in my car for safety in case I'm stranded, as well as for the kids to use in winter. I even just bought two patterns of the Kid Snuggie ($14.99 to $26.99) at Toys R Us for both of my children to use while in the car, or you can buy a car seat poncho.

Rule #8: RTFM (Read the #^!&ing Manual)

Most car seats have a specific location for the manual on the seat so that it's kept with it at all times. That's because almost every single question you could have is listed in that little booklet, and the manufacturer's number is there for anything else. Use it. Even car seat pros utilize this booklet. Every single car seat is different with different rules, and this booklet (or the PDF of it online if you lost yours) is your golden ticket to proper car seat usage.

Rule #9: When in Doubt, Get Help

Skip the fire stations and police department -- they mean well, but often are no more trained than you are. Contact SafeKids at their website or at 1-866-SEAT-CHECK.

There is no shame in asking for help, but there is shame in letting your ego or embarrassment stop you from making your baby as safe as they possibly can be.