We are often asked many questions related to Child Passenger Safety issues, below we have listed the tops ones along with answers to help guide you through your issues with Child Safety Seats.

When can I turn my child around so they are forward facing in the car?

Your child needs to be AT LEAST one year of age and AT LEAST 20lbs. This is very important because before this time a child does not have the physical development to with stand the force that would be placed on them in a crash. Children are physically disproportional, their head is much larger than the rest of their body. In addition the bones in their necks are soft and the ligaments are stretchy. If a child were to be in a forward facing position before one year of age and 20lbs they could suffer serious injury. In a frontal crash which is the most common type – the child's body is held back by the straps of the seat, but the head is thrust forward which could cause damage to the spinal cord.

In contrast, when a child is in the rear-facing position their whole body is cradled by the back of their safety seat which gives a ride down effect of the forces in a crash

 Should I leave my child in the back seat by itself and will they be safe?

Yes you can and they will be safe. If you place your baby in the front seat you could be placing them in danger, especially if there is an air bag. Never place a rear-facing child in front of an air bag. The air bag deploys at up to 200 miles an hour out of the dashboard.

Even in a car without a front seat air bag, the back seat is still safer. The reason for this is that the child is further away from the action of a frontal crash. By having the child in the back seat it also forces you to pay attention to the road and traffic conditions. If your child needs your attention then pull over to the side of the road. If your child has a medical condition that requires him/her to be watched constantly then you should always travel with two adults, one driving and the other with the child.

How can I tell if my child's safety seat is in securely?

The first thing you need to do is read the instructions that came with the child safety seat as well as the owner's manual for your car; look in the index section under “child restraint”. Your car may require special equipment from the dealer in order to install the seat properly. Different cars may pose different unique problems depending on the type of seat belts you have, contours, bumps etc.. Once you have installed the seat grab it at the belt path “the place where the belt goes through the child safety seat” and try to move the seat from side to side. The seat should not move more than one inch from side to side. It should not wobble, pivot, or tip over either.

If it does any of the above then try re-installing the seat. If you are still unable to get a proper fit try moving the seat to another position in the vehicle. 

 Is it okay to use mirrors or sunshades in the car?

Parents often like to include many different objects in the car for their child to play with and for their own peace of mind. While it may make a parent feel more comfortable to place a mirror in the car so they can see their child, this object could cause injury in the event of crash. This would also be true for other toys and lose item in the vehicle. Remember that in a crash we are dealing with tremendous forces and this objects become projectiles in this situation. The best course of action is to only allow your child to play with soft objects and to store all lose items in the trunk of the vehicle. 

Is the carrying handle on my infant-only seat suppose to be in the up position or locked back?

It is important to always remember to place the handle of an infant-only seat in lock back position. This serves two purposes, with some seats is actually acts as the locking mechanism in the base of the car seat. The other factor is that in the event of a crash your child's face could come in contact with the handle an cause injury.

What if my car has lap-only seat belts?

A child should never be place is a lap-only seat belt. The problem here is that only the lower half of the child's body is being restrained which could lead to injury in the event of a crash.

Many cars with lap only belts can be retrofitted with a lap and shoulder belt. You should contact the car dealer to check on this option. If the car can not be retrofitted that you many want to consider an E-Z-ON vest. This device is used in place of a shoulder belt and is anchored into the vehicle. For more information on this product please download this informational sheet. Click here to download.  

When can I take my child out of the car seat?

This varies from state to state so your first course of action would be to check the laws in your state. The important thing to remember here is that most children will not fit properly in the car without some sort of assistance until about 8 years old and 80lbs. Vehicle seats are designed on the model of an average 150lbs male and I do not know many 4 and 5 year olds that fit this bill. Once your child has reached 40lbs they will no longer be able to use a child safety seat since the straps on all models are only rated to 40lbs.

At this point we need to place the child in a belt-positioning booster seat in conjunction with a lap and should seat belt “never with a lap belt only”. The purpose of a bet-positioning booster is to raise the child up high enough in the car to allow the lap and should belt to fit properly. This is a vital step in order to keep your child safe.

What's the best car seat I can buy?

This is probably the question we get the most and in some ways the easiest to answer. The seat that is best for you is the one that fits properly in your car and in you pocketbook. There are many different car seats on the market that range greatly in price. You may go out and buy a $200 car seat with all the bells and whistles that won'' fit in your car, thus doing you no good. Its important that before you buy any seat that you take it out to your car and see how it fits. Most stores wont have a problem with this and if they do you need to shop somewhere else.

What should I do if I am having trouble installing my seat?

Putting a car seat in properly is very important and at first you may need a little help. The best thing for you to do is to contact a Child passenger Safety Seat Technician to help you put your seat in. You could start by finding the nearest SAFE KIDS Coalition in your area by going to the National SAFE KIDS web site at www.safekids.org or calling them at (202) 662-0600.

If you have a question that was not addressed in this section are would like some more detail, please contact Bob Cordes/Managing Director at rcordes@fcsafekids.org or call Bob at (203) 853-7115.