Child safety seats are necessary for obvious reasons. This is usually installed in the car to prevent injuries on babies. Car accidents can happen at any time in the most unexpected circumstance. The safety seat plays a significant role in this area of safety. So, you must know how do you best position and use child safety seats.
Best Position of Child Safety Seats
When you have a baby, his safety always comes first. As parents, you provide him the proper equipment to ensure safety, especially when it comes to his place in the car. This is because babies are always at a higher risk of injury when it comes to vehicular accidents. Their spines are still developing, and they even cannot raise their heads, making them very vulnerable. So, it would help if you learned how do you best position and use child safety seats. Below are the seats of the vehicle. See which place is best for your baby to sit.
- Front Passenger Seat
Front seats are not for babies. It is never safe, and, in some states, it is illegal. However, some parents wanted to have their baby on the front seat to keep an eye on them. You must remember that front seats are for adults and not for kids, especially not for babies. If your baby needs to be monitored for some reason, you can ask someone to come with you to sit together with your baby. - Rear-seat At the Back of the Driver’s Seat
The parking position is always the driver’s side on the road. So, if you use the seat at the back of the driver, it will not be safe when you get your child in or out of the car. The roadside is always the dangerous side. - Rear Middle Seat
Some cars have a three-point seat belt at the rear seat. So, if your car has this, the spot is one of the safest for your child. And for safety purposes, you have to position the child safety seat rear-facing. - Rear Seat Next to the Front Passenger Seat
This spot is always the most recommended. This is because you can easily see your baby in case you want to check on him. Also, it is safer to get him in and out of the car on the pavement side.
Types of Safety Seats for Babies
Once you understand the safety measures you need to follow for your child, you now need to know the types of seats, so you will know how do you best position and use child safety seats.
- Infant-Only Safety Seats
This type of safety seat can be used in a rear-facing position. It comes with five harness points. It has two straps that secure the shoulders and another two belts for the hips, connecting to a buckle between the legs. Some Infant Safety Seats come with a three-point harness. It functions the same way as the five-point but without the hips support.
This seat is suitable for babies who are 27 inches in height and weighs up to 20 pounds. In placing your baby, he should be at least 2 inches below the top of the seat. And you have to recline the seat 45 degrees angle. - Convertible Seats
The convertible seat is used for the rear-facing position or forward-facing. Though this seat has a forward-facing option, it is recommended that you still use the rear-facing until the baby reaches the right age and height of over 40 pounds of weight. So, when your baby is less than the recommended weight, he must be in a rear-facing position.
In positioning your baby in a rear-facing, you should make sure that the harness straps are fastened below the baby’s shoulder and armpit level. You must also place the baby in the back seat of the car. - Car Beads
This type of car safety seats is recommended when you have a smaller baby. Learn how do you best position and use child safety seats, so you will know when and how to use one. However, this product is limited, and only a few manufacturers are selling these. You can ask around of check with safety seat manufacturers.
Conclusion
When you have babies, safety is a top concern. You use equipment or devices that will increase the level of security for them. This includes safety seats they can use when in the car or traveling. Most of these car safety seats have handles that allow you to easily carry the babies in getting in or out of the vehicle. You must know how do you best position and use child safety seats to ensure they are safe by applying the proper guidelines in using the seat. Find out more about infant car seats.