Is your child's safety seat installed correctly? Here's what to look for
September is National Child Passenger Safety Month, and safety advocates are urging all parents to keep young children safe in vehicles by knowing how to install and use car seats correctly.
It remains a leading cause of death for youth in the U.S. In 2023, motor vehicle crashes killed more than 1,000 children ages 14 and younger.
Dr. Maneesha Agarwal with Children's Healthcare of Atlanta said children who are injured or killed in crashes are either unrestrained or not properly restrained.
She said the most important thing parents can do to keep children safe on the road is to use the right car seat and in the right way.
The first tip, make sure to buy the right car seat. Very young children need to ride in rear-facing seats as long as possible until they hit the maximum height and weight suggested on the seat, then a forward-facing seat is the next step, followed by a booster seat. It is advised to check the seat's manual for the maximum height and weight limit.
"If you've thrown out the instruction manual, most of these car seat manufacturers have really helpful websites where you can find that manual and figure out what that height and weight limit is," Dr. Agarwal said.
Next, make sure the seat is properly installed.
The Safe Kids Worldwide organization said to use either the seat belt or lower anchors to secure it, but don't use both at the same time. forward-facing seats need a tether with the seat belt or lower anchors. A properly fitted harness can also provide protection.
Dr. Agarwal said a child passenger safety technician, found at some places like fire stations, can help make sure your seat is set up correctly.
"You may be the world's safest driver, but you cannot account for every other human being out there on the road," she said.
Dr. Agarwal said it can be tempting to buy a used car seat for less money than a brand new one, but she cautions that unless you know and trust the person you're buying the seat from, there's no way to fully know that seat's history.
Instead, she said it's always better to buy a new one.