A Passion of Mine: Car Seat Safety

This may seem to be a silly passion to have, but I truly believe it is an important one. I am passionate about child vehicle restraint safety. Car seats are the only thing standing in the way of children having a fighting chance at living life after a crash. Car accidents are the LEADING CAUSE of death in children under the age of 10 in Canada AND 85-90% of car seats are used incorrectly. As a parent of small children this is unfathomable to me. We can be so concerned about how many toys they have, or how well they speak or when they are potty trained by, but by and large, safety in a motor vehicle gets forgotten, neglected and sometimes completely overlooked.
I do not intend to sound pompous or "holier than thou". I merely want to bring up an important issue that concerns me greatly. Greatly.
Car seats are not only important, but they are the law. In our province, caregivers who are driving the vehicle where children are restrained incorrectly, or are in incorrectly installed seats are subject to $220 fine and 2 demerits for a first offence.
This should not be the only reason to check your carseats- in fact, it shouldn't even be at the top of the list.

Some quick facts about carseats:
1) They have an expiry date. Car seats in good condition should not be used past this expiry because the materials in them have become too worn over time and they are no longer considered safe in a crash.
2) Carseats should ALWAYS be new, or from someone you know. Carseats given or purchased second hand may look like they are in good repair, but the plastic and/or foam may be compromised from being in a previous accident and are therefore no longer safe.
3) Carseats should not move more than ONE INCH once installed into the vehicle. Think about it- how would you feel if your seat moved during an accident?
4) Forward facing seats MUST be tethered or it is not installed correctly, and also illegal.
5) Children are safest in the middle of the back seat, rear facing as long as possible. Many convertable (rear and forwarding facing) seats go up to at least 30lbs- this can support some children past the age of three.
6) The UAS (Universal Anchorage System) does not support car seats for the duration of their weight limit. Check you car seat manual for details, but there is a point in which you need to switch your installation to the seat belt- ours is after 45lbs.
7) Child harnesses should be very snug. You should not be able to pinch more than ONE INCH of harness at the collarbone and the chest clip should be at armpit level.
8) It is UNSAFE to place a child in the carseat with a heavy/puffy winter coat. Please use FLEECE sweaters or HOODIES and blankets. This YouTube video shares many ideas for keeping kids warm AND safe in the car: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yd3GEfv5OTY&feature=related. Laugh at the lame music playing while you watch- it's pretty dorky, but the video is quite informative.


For more information on Canadian Car Seat Law click Here
For tips on installing child restraints click Here
To contact someone about having your current seat checked click Here