Car Seat Safety

Car Seat Safety

The Lewin family believes that car seats are vital when ensuring your child stays safe while in a vehicle. Depending on age, weight and height children should be using a car seat or a booster seat before transitioning to a seat belt alone. From birth to age 2, the child should be using a rear facing car seat until they reach the weight or height limits on the specific car seat. From age 2-5, generally, the child should be in a front facing car seat. Booster seats should be used when the weight and height limits of the front facing car seat have been met.

To determine whether a child is ready to use a seat belt, check to see if it fits properly. Proper fit means the seat belt will lay across the upper thigh of the child, not on their stomach. The seatbelt should also lay across the child’s chest and not their neck. The recommended height that a child should reach before wearing a seatbelt is 57 inches or around age 10. The safest spot for a child to be buckled in is the middle of the back seat.

Using a car seat or a seatbelt is crucial. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat-belts reduce serious crash-related injuries and deaths by about 50%. Leading by example is the best way to make sure your child wears a seat belt and makes it a habit that could save their lives.