Any parent wants to do everything they can to ensure the safety of their children, especially when it comes to traveling in a car. One of the most important safety measures we can take is ensuring that our children are properly secured in their car seats. But despite our best intentions (and plenty of homework), many parents are making common car seat safety mistakes that could put their children at risk. We’ll take a closer look at these mistakes and provide our best tips on how to avoid them.
Your Car Seat Installation Is Too Loose
How to check: A properly and securely installed car seat should pass the “inch test.” Once installed, a car seat should not allow for more than 1” of movement front-to-back or right-to-left at the belt path (where the LATCH webbing or vehicle seatbelt passes through the car seat shell or base). Remember that the further you test from the belt path, the more movement there will be—that is normal and not cause for concern. The front of the car seat (near the area where your knees would be if you were sitting in the car) will possibly move more than 1 inch.
The potential danger: If your car seat isn’t tightly installed, it could crash into the back of the front seat during a collision, increasing the risk of head and neck injuries.
How to fix it: Before you begin installation, make sure to carefully read both your car seat instruction manual and vehicle manual. Every car seat—both rear- and forward-facing—must be installed by either a seat belt or the LATCH system (and remember, the lower anchors used for LATCH installation have a 65 lbs weight limit). The safest placement in your back seat is the middle position, but if you can’t get a tight installation there or your vehicle doesn’t allow for it, it’s safest to use the side seats. Be mindful that if you park on the street a lot, you do not want to use the street-side of the car to load and unload your child.
Even car seats that are “easy” to install require a little muscle. Place your car seat (or seat base) deep into the back of your vehicle seat, and press the seat (or base) with your arm. Tighten the seat belt or lower tethers, removing any slack. And if you are doing a seatbelt install, don’t forget to make sure the seat belt is locked back into place.
The NHTSA estimates that three out of four car seats are not correctly installed, so it’s a good idea to have your installation checked by a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). You can find them at many local police and fire stations, or head to http://www.seatcheck.org/ and search your zip code to find a CPST near you.
You’re Forward-Facing Too Soon
How to check: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Highway Traffic Safety Commission (NHTSA), and scores of the nation’s leading pediatricians and researchers all recommend children rear-face for as long as possible, until they reach the maximum height or weight limit for their specific car seat model (whichever comes first, not both). The AAP previously recommended rear-facing until age two but updated their guidelines in 2018.
The potential danger: In a frontal crash, everyone in the car will move towards the point of impact. While your upper body movement will be quickly stopped by a seat belt or harness, your head will continue to move forward until your chin touches your chest and then whips back (whiplash). Your baby’s head is disproportionately large for their body (as childbirth probably demonstrated!), so it catapults forward with more force. Babies also have underdeveloped spines that are less equipped to protect their spinal cords. If you are in a front-end collision with a toddler forward-facing, the risk for serious injury—even paralysis or death—is much higher.
How to fix it: Keep your child in a rear-facing position until they reach their car seat model’s maximum height or weight limit.
Your Rear-Facing Car Seat Is at the Wrong Angle
How to check: Any rear-facing car seat has indicators that confirm your car seat is reclined at a safe angle (many have helpful infographics printed on the side of the car seat shell, and you can always refer to your instruction manual). Your child’s head should rest on the back seat without tipping forward.
The potential danger: We are learning more and more about the relationship between proper recline angle in an infant car seat and respiratory health in young babies, so it is imperative that you install your rear-facing car seat at the appropriate angle (especially for preemies). If your baby’s head tilts forward to their chest, there’s a chance their airway could be restricted, making it difficult to breathe.
How to fix it: Always confirm your car seat’s recline is at the proper angle for your child’s age and stage (note that as your baby grows, you’ll need to adjust the recline accordingly).
Your Harness Is Too Loose
How to check: When tightening the harness, do the “Pinch Test” by seeing if you can pinch the strap together at your child’s collarbone horizontally. If you can, then tighten the harness for a snugger fit.
The potential danger: If your child’s harness is too loose, there’s a chance your child could come out of their car seat during a collision.
How to fix it: Do the pinch test each and every time you’re buckling your child into their car seat.
Your Harness Chest Clip Is in the Wrong Place
How to check: The chest clip should be at the armpit level to ensure proper positioning. When the chest clip is positioned correctly, it pulls the harness in to align with your child’s shoulders properly.
The potential danger: If the chest clip is too low, it may slip off your child’s shoulders, and your child could slip out of the harness in an impact. If the chest clip is too high, it could mean a neck injury during an accident or sudden stop.
How to fix it: Check your chest clip positioning each and every time you’re buckling your child into their car seat.
Your Shoulder Straps Aren’t Properly Positioned
How to check: When rear-facing, the shoulder straps in the back of the car seat should be at, or below, your child’s shoulders. When forward-facing, the shoulder straps should be at or slightly above the shoulders. Check with your user manual to be sure which is the right position for the harness for your specific car seat.
The potential danger: Improper positioning of the shoulder straps has the same effect as not pulling your harness tightly enough—your child’s body will move with more momentum in a collision. And every bit of extra movement increases the crash forces and the risk of injury.
How to fix it: Thankfully, this isn’t an adjustment you’ll make all that frequently. As your child grows, just keep an eye on where the harness slot is located relative to their shoulders.
You’re Not Tethering Your Car Seat
How to check: A tether is a webbing strap on the top back of convertible, combination, or all-in-one car seats and attaches to an anchor in the back of your vehicle. (They’re often rolled up and stored in the back of your car seat when you first unbox it.) You should always tether any forward-facing car seat, even if installed with your seat belt or LATCH system.
The potential danger: The top tether prevents your child’s head from moving forward during a collision (head excursion) by up to six inches. It reduces the chance that your child will impact the seat in front of them, reducing the risk of additional head and neck injuries.
How to fix it: The top tether is an easy visual—if you don’t have a strap anchoring your forward-facing car seat to a top tether anchor, reinstall it.
You Stopped Using a Booster Seat Too Soon
How to check: According to an NHTSA survey, over a quarter of 4-7-year-olds are prematurely transitioned out of their booster seats. And while you (and your kiddo) might be excited to leave car seats behind, it’s safest not to rush.
The potential danger: Moving out of a booster seat too quickly means that the lap and shoulder belts aren’t safely positioned on your child’s body, significantly increasing the chance of injury in a car accident.
How to fix it: If you suspect your child is ready to sit without a booster seat, do the seat belt felt test. Your child can ride safely without a booster seat when you can say YES to ALL 5 of these:
- Keep their back against the vehicle seat and
- Their knees bend at the edge of the vehicle seat and
- The lap belt rests on the tops of their thighs, not their belly, and
- The shoulder belt rests between the neck and should and
- They sit properly—no slouching, slumping, fiddling with the seat belt, etc.
Generally, most children should ride in a booster seat until they are 10-12 years old. And don’t forget that the back seat is the safest place for kids to ride until they’re thirteen.
You Didn’t Remove Your Child’s Outerwear
How to check: Bulky coats and outerwear (or blankets) can prevent your child’s harness from fitting snugly. The puff and fill in heavy coats may give the appearance that your harness passes the pinch test when it doesn’t.
The potential danger: The impact of crash forces is extreme, and a coat’s inner filling will compress during a collision. Once compressed, the straps will be loose, and your child could break free from the harness.
How to fix it: If you live in a cold climate, layer clothing, consider buying a car seat pod or cover that allows for safe harnessing (we love the 7 A.M. pods and wraps), or use a blanket or coat over your child once they’re securely buckled.
You Moved to a Belt Positioning Booster Seat Too Soon
How to check: Most traditional convertible car seats have a forward-facing 65 lbs weight limit (and some all-in-one options have even higher weight limits). The AAP recommends that parents keep their children in harnessed car seats for as long as possible until they outgrow the height or weight limits. Children are safest in car seats with harnesses.
The potential danger: Most children under five or six aren’t mature enough to sit in a booster seat—either they can’t sit still, or they’re slumping, or the shoulder belt is irritating their neck, so they slip out of it. And if your child is not wearing a seat belt properly, they aren’t protected in a collision.
How to fix it: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach their car seat model’s maximum height or weight limit.
You’re Using a Used Car Seat
How to check: If a close friend or family member suggests taking their used car seat, or you spot a sweet deal on the marketplace, make sure that:
- The car seat is not expired.
- The car seat is not recalled.
- The car seat is not involved in a previous crash.
- The car seat has been registered after purchase.
The potential danger: If you don’t know the entire history of a car seat, it’s possible to use a car seat that’s been recalled or one that was damaged in a car accident. Both scenarios mean your child could be riding in a seat that won’t adequately protect them in a collision.
How to fix it: We are all for reusing a car seat you’ve used with an older sibling, provided it isn’t damaged and hasn’t been recalled or expired. But we advise against purchasing used car seats (and not just because we’re a baby gear retailer).
Your Car Seat Is Recalled
How to check: The NHTSA keeps a searchable database of car seat recalls, but you’ll need your car seat model name and number, as well as the serial number (all located on the shell of your car seat or car seat base).
The potential danger: Millions of car seats have been recalled over the years for a number of reasons—some of them serious.
How to fix it: If you discover your car seat is part of a recall, you should contact the manufacturer immediately for the next steps. You can avoid being surprised by a recall by taking the time to register your product (which is usually necessary for activating your warranty, too).
You’re Using Aftermarket Car Seat Accessories
How to check: Before buying any aftermarket car seat accessory (that’s any accessory not included with your original car seat purchase), reach out to the manufacturer to ask if they’ve tested the accessory with their seat (manufacturers can often provide a list of accessories that are approved for usage).
The potential danger: Third-party aftermarket accessories aren’t regulated or tested, so there’s no way to know if they’ll affect your car seat’s performance in a crash.
How to fix it: Don’t purchase (or get rid of) any car seat accessories that your car seat’s manufacturer doesn’t officially approve.
Additional Resources
These organizations have tons of information on car seat safety, recalls, and changing regulations:
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Safe Kids Worldwide
- Healthy Children
- National Child Passenger Safety Board
- American Academy of Pediatrics
Finding What’s Right for You
Albee Baby is the oldest family-owned specialty baby shop in the US, and we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best assortment of baby products anywhere, at fair prices, always. We’re committed to being an inclusive resource for parents and hope you feel empowered to find the right baby gear for your family. Still have questions? Feel free to contact our baby gear experts at 877.692.5233 or [email protected].