TO DIE FOR.......???? (General Car Seats)

Name: chrissypops

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	General Car Seats
Date:	12/01/01 (633 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: see opinion

Disadvantages: see opinion

Many years go, well when I was a wee lass anyway, there was no such thing as a car seat for babies and young children. It was a common sight to see a baby or child sitting on the lap of adults, either inside or outside the seat belt.

I quiver at that thought now. Most children now are in car seats, but I still see some children not strapped in. ARE THEY MAD??? Do they really know how much danger they are putting themselves, their children and other drivers at risk? If you are one of these people who let your toddler travel in the car.... PLEASE READ THIS ..and for goodness sake STRAP THEM IN!!

All people who travel in a car should use a seat beat or a car seat. THIS IS LAW. Children under 9 months old or under 20lb in weight should be in a rear facing car seat, preferably in the back and in the middle. Its important to have your baby facing backwards and at a reclined position as the back needs to be supported. When a vehicle stops suddenly anyone inside will continue to move forward. The purpose of a seat belt is, of course, to keep this from happening.

The head is not restrained and does move forward while the shoulders are held back. An infant's spinal column is not ready to withstand high forces; the vertebrae are not completely turned to bone and the connecting ligaments are lax. If your baby is facing forward in a severe crash and his head snaps forward, the pressure on his neck can pull the flexible vertebrae and ligaments apart. This can cause spinal cord damage, paralysis and even death. However, if your baby is facing to the rear, both her body and her head are pushed backwards (toward the front of the car) and the crash forces are evenly distributed across her entire body.

Some rear facing car seats(0- 1st stage ) also are designed to flip over in severe car accidents. This is so the bottom of the seat shields the baby from damage from above and from the sides, but it all depends on how the car seat is designed.
Try and keep your baby in a rear facing seat for as long as possible and always go by the weight limit on a car seat rather than the age. For example my seat states that its for babies up to 9 mths or 20lb. As my Lucy is 17 lbs at 7 mths I will try and keep her in that she till she reaches 20lb. Sometimes this can be difficult as some babies, like mine, are quite long and their legs reach over the end of the seat, resulting in squished toes. These car seats have a 5 point harness which stops the baby being thrown forward or falling out if the seat or car is flipped over.


Once your older baby is over 9 mths old, over 20lb, or can sit for over 30 mins unaided, you can put them safely into a forward facing car seat. Your child's back is stronger, but still can be damaged by a high impact accident. The seat should still be in the back, in the middle because most accidents are head on or to the side of the car. On no circumstances, should you put any car seat in the front of the car that has a airbag. If the airbag goes off, a child with suffocate under the pressure.

The seat should now be in the upright position, and the harness straps must be at or above your child's shoulders— this usually means using the top harness slots. Check your manuals to make sure you're installing the seat correctly. The front facing seat should last till the child is 3 or 4 yrs old or until her shoulders are above the top harness slots. These 2nd stages car seats are still a 5 point harness, for the same reasons as the 1st stage.

How do I choose a car seat?

There are so many of them on the market it is really hard to choose. You have some which are Stage 1, some which are stage 1 & 2 ( rearward and forward facing), Stage 3( forward facing that detachable booster seat, and Stage 4 (booster seat). There are also the "travel systems " which have a stage 1 car seat that fits on the pushchair. The list..... is endless.
>
Whatever you choose there are a few guidelines that you must follow.
The best way to decide which seat to get is to try them out. Make sure the seat fits into your vehicle properly, that it can be buckled in tightly, and that it fits your child's size and weight. Check it in both rear and forward positions if it is a convertible model, and be sure to try it with your child inside. Read the labels and any other directions to be sure it meets your needs. Do choose a seat that you find easy to use. If it's a nuisance, you may be tempted not to use it.

Most places that you can buy car seats from (Halfords, Mothercare, Toys r Us) will fit your car seat for you, and show you how to do it before you decide. Don't be afraid to take your time. Its far more important that you find the right car seat, that is easy to fit and use... and its not necessarily the most expensive one either. Remember to send in your registration card, so you can be notified of any problems or recalls.

Using A stage 1 Car seat.

Be sure to read the manufacturer's directions and your vehicle owner's manual to make sure you're installing the seat correctly. Keep in mind that pictures you see of seats in stores or ads may not show them being used safely.

Both the harness straps on the seat and your car's seat belts need to be attached snugly; the seat belts hold the seat to the car, and the harness keeps your baby in the seat. Every time you drive somewhere, check the car seat by pushing on it where the seat belt passes through. It should not move easily from side to side or to the front of your car. Also make sure the seat belt buckle isn't at the point where the belt bends around the car seat; if it is, you won't be able to get the belt tight enough. Check your car owner's manual to see if the seat belts can be locked into position. If not, you'll need to use a locking clip to keep the belt tight.

When
you put your baby in her car seat, make sure the seat is at a 45 degree angle. This angle is necessary to support her head and keep her airways open. If your baby's head flops forward, the seat may be too high for her. You can put a firmly rolled towel or sheet under the base of the seat to help it tilt back a little more. But be careful and don't tip it too far back.

The harness straps must fit your baby snugly and should not be twisted. They should fit properly over his shoulders and between his legs, so dress baby in clothes that keep his/her legs free. Use the lowest harness slots for your new born, and keep the straps in the slots at or below his shoulders as long as he is facing to the rear.

The seat belt should go around the front of the seat, through the guides, so that the lap strap is about thigh level and the diagonal part of the seat belt is around the back of the seat. This keeps the seat in position. All depending on what make you have the handle can be up or down. Please make sure you check the instructions. If you get the seat before your baby is born, fit it a few times before the big day, so you know what you are doing.


Stage 2 car seats

When your baby is 1 year old and weighs more than 20 pounds, she's ready to face forward in a toddler or convertible seat with a full harness. A booster seat should not be used yet; the full harness is needed to give protection to her upper body and to hold her in her seat. The seat should now be in the upright position, and the harness straps must be at or above your child's shoulders— this usually means using the top harness slots. The seat belt should go through the feeders at the back , and you do up the seat belt in the fastener. Be aware of BUCKLE CRUNCH, this is where the metal of the fastener rubs against the seat and can cause a major weakness. Always follow manufactures instructions.

Stage 3 car seats/boaster seats.

These
are seats that are lower and fit to the car by using just the seat belt. Stage 3 car seats are usually for over 2 yrs of age till 8/9 yrs. Belt-positioning booster seats raise your child high enough so that he is able to use the adult lap and shoulder belts both safety and comfortably. The lap belt fits properly and spreads crash forces over your child's hips rather than the soft abdomen, reducing the risk of abdominal injuries.

Properly positioned shoulder belt limits the movements of your child's upper body and head in a crash, preventing serious injuries to the brain, head, spinal cord, liver and spleen. If you put your child into an adult seat belt before she is big enough, the lap belt tends to ride up over her abdomen, while the shoulder belt crosses her neck or face. This is uncomfortable and can cause serious injuries in a crash.

Stage 3 car seats are fitted by sliding the seat belt along the lap and fastened, usually through guides at the side of the seat. The diagonal part should sit across the child's chest. It should not however cut his neck. To prevent this most of these car seats have a shoulder adjuster, which you can slid the strap through so it sits on the shoulder not across the neck. If your seat has not got one, you can get them from Halfords and Mothercare.

Recent research by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia into how and why children are hurt and injured in car accidents has discovered that children in adult seat belts are four times more likely to suffer from head, brain and other serious injuries than children who have been placed in car seats or booster seats. In addition, children in seat belts suffered the only reported cases of abdominal injuries.

The protection a passenger gets from a seat belt depends on its correct use and fit, and adult seat belts are designed to fit adults, not children. A safety belt fits correctly when the lap belt rides low over the hips and the shoulder
belt crosses the sternum and shoulder. This usually doesn't happen until your child is nine years old, weighs about 80 pounds and is at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. The most important factor seems to be height, as she needs to be tall enough to sit without slouching, her back against the car seat, feet on the floor and knees bent at the edge of the seat.

The other thing about car seat is that is stops your child misbehaving in the car. I saw today a toddler sitting in the back of the car, not strapped in, looking out of the back window. Apart from if the driver had an accident he would of gone through the rear window screen with no hope of surviving, he must of been a distraction to the driver. He was bobbing up and down, and moving about. My children are a distraction enough sitting in the seats, let alone out of it! If you are going on a journey, be prepared. Take a few toys in the car and some books if you child isn't travel sick. If your child is old enough get a drinks holder for the back so they can help themselves instead of distracting you from driving.

One other thing which I often see and thats people giving a lift to a friends who has children or babies. Don't get me wrong, I would gladly stop and give someone a lift but ONLY if I has either a spare child seat..IE if my eldest was at Nursery or the person concerned had a young baby which was in a travel system with its own car seat. This might sound rather selfish but all my friends know how I feel about unrestained children in the car. I would rather let them walk, then risk their life without a car seat. Many people would say that its "only just down the road...its not far.." But unfortuantly most accidents happen on short journeys. Food for thought...

Please of the sake of your children's lives, use car seats/seat belts Most accidents happen 5 minutes from home. BELT UP and be safe.

Summary: