How To Install A Child Safety Seat

Nothing matters to a parent more than their child's health and safety, especially when riding in a car. An automobile accident can happen in an instant and it is vital that a child is properly protected. It is imperative that an infant's car seat be correctly and securely installed and this can be confusing to a first time user with all the different clips and belts.

Unfortunately, an infant car seat cannot guarantee a child's safety. However, a properly installed car seat will significantly decrease the chance of death or injury in the event of a car accident. As a result, child safety seats are required by law in all 50 states.

For babies, a car seat is installed into the back seat of the car, facing the rear and is attached to a base that sits on the backseat. The base is securely fastened to the seat of the car with a seat belt. It's important to make sure that the seat belt of the car is threaded through the proper slots of the base. Always carefully follow the instructions in your car seat's installation manual. It's very important to make sure that the straps that hold the baby in the seat are properly and securely fastened and that the infant seat is in the reclined position while in the vehicle. The straps should be threaded through the slots that are just below your child's shoulders and when fastened, they should be tight enough that only one finger can fit between the harness and the child's collarbone.

As a child grows older, they will begin to use a safety seat that now faces the front of the car in a seat that is especially suited to this use. With this type of seat, the seat belt of the car is threaded through the holes in the back of the seat. Again, it's important to ensure that the seat belt is threaded through the proper holes. Once it's securely fastened, the next step is to attach the straps to the safety clips near the rear window of the car, by the headrests. This is a newer, additional system called the Universal Anchorage System and is now mandatory in many jurisdictions. When these latches are connected, you can then tighten them to ensure that the seat is securely fastened and there is very little play in the seat. The last step of course is to ensure that the child is securely fastened into the seat using the straps provided.

No matter what kind of infant car seat that you decide to buy, it's always important that you follow the manufacturers instructions when installing the seat. Ensure that the seat belts in the car are working properly and that the seat does not have any visible damage as this can cause the structure of the seat to become weak and possibly fail under stress.