The importance of baby car seats
To think that 30 years ago, safety in a car was not a big issue make us feel relieved that things have changed. Back then, parents would simply ask their little ones to hold on to the front seat or to the dashboard and moms would hold their babies on their lap in the passenger seat. 30 years go, using seat belts was often optional, especially for the passengers. Also, very few people cared about road safety studies, which anyway were mostly unheard of.
Fortunately, today, we are much more aware of the risks of car traveling. We do not ask our children to hold to their seat with no seat belts and we would never sit our babies on our lap when the car is moving. Things have changed so much many parents are confused about what is safe and what is not and about the vast number of car seats models available on the market.
Buckle up your babies, it's the law
Car safety for babies and children are now regulated in many countries : not using an an adapted car seats for your baby will cost you a lot in fine and points deduction of your driver's license.
The age of the infant is not what is prioritized anymore, but rather his size of in a sitting position (from the bottom to the top of the head when the child is sitting). This means that a small 7 or 8 years old child could be sitting in the same car seat model as their younger friend.
Baby car seats
For newborns (who are by definition babies that weigh below 9 kilos/20 pounds or measure less than 66 centimeters/26 inches), parents have to use a proper baby car seat. In order to do a good job, the baby car seat has to be installed correctly : in the opposite direction to the traffic, in the back seat, to give a better protection to the neck and the chest of the child in the event of a collision or sudden braking. Also, it is recommended that you do not change the way of installing the car seat for you baby until he is strong enough to stand alone by himself, usually until about 12 months.
If the car does not come equipped with an airbag on the passenger side and would like to increase your child's safety, you can use the front seat to install the baby car seat, as long as you make sure to back up the seat as far back as possible. However, if the car is equipped with an airbag on the front right side, the newborn car seat should never be installed at the front.
The seat for babies should be installed at a 45 degrees angle. Your baby should not be completely lying nor completely upright. If the seat can not be inclined to a 45 degrees angle, simply roll a tower and put it under the seat to fix the angle to 45 degrees.
Remember at 50 km per hour or 30 miles per hour, the weight of an object in motion is multiplied by 35! Therefore, when a collision occurs, your only 9 kilos/20pounds baby will then weigh 315kilos/700pounds. If not firmly attached to an appropriate seating, your child could be flying down to the dashboard or even be ejected from the vehicle!
So if you are not already properly using a car seat for your babies and children, hurry up and change your your habits, as it could save your child's life in case of accident.
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Bonnie F.Lapointe is a freelance writer and has collaborated with many websites to teach about child safety awareness. Find her work at baby travel system.
