It’s important to use the correct car seat for your children to protect them from harm.

Parents do everything they can to protect their children. This may be holding hands when crossing the street or teaching them not to talk to strangers. But one area that goes unnoticed can be correct car seats. The right car seat is dependent on the age and size of their child.

Children outgrow clothes and shoes quickly. They also outgrow car seats and the wrong car seat could seriously injure your child. These are the car seat guidelines according to the National Highway Safety Administration.

Always select a car seat appropriate for your child’s age and size. The seat also needs to fit the vehicle is it being used in.
Install the car seat according to the vehicle owner’s manual.
Keep your child in the car seat for a long as possible, as long as the child is within the height and weight requirements.
Always keep children under the age of 12 in the backseat.

Birth – 12 months

Under the age of 1, children should always be put in a rear-facing car seat. Infant only seats can only be used rear-facing. Other types of car seats, such as convertible and 3-in1 car seats, have a higher weight and height limits. This allows you to keep children in a rear-facing car seat for longer.

1-3 years

To keep children safer, it’s best to use rear-facing seats for as long as possible. However, once they outgrow the height and weight limitations of a rear-facing seat, the child should be traveling in a forward-facing seat with a harness.

4-7 years

After your child has outgrown the height and weight limitations of a forward-facing car seat, they graduate to a booster seat. However, it’s important to remember this is still in the back seat of the vehicle.

8-12 years

When your child has reached appropriate height and weight for a seat belt, they can graduate from the booster seat. It’s important to remember that just because they have reached the typical age of a child ready for a seat belt, if their height and weight still isn’t in accordance to seat belt regulations, they should stay in a booster seat. The lap belt should lie across upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should not be across the face or neck, only the shoulder and chest. The child should still be riding in the backseat for the ultimate safety.

If you have had a Kansas car wreck injury that was not your fault and need medical treatment, you need an experienced professional who can help you get back on the road to recovery. Call us today at 316-269-1414 or visit our contact page here. Our Kansas personal injury attorneys will provide you a free initial consultation and if we take your case you don’t pay a dime unless we recover money for you. Even then we only take a percentage of the total amount of your recovery.

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