For information on training, please contact Scott Allen
at
AllenSB@archildrens.org or 501-364-KIDS (5437).
Basic Guidelines
- Infants must be rear-facing in the back seat until at least 1 yr. old and
at least 20 lbs.
- Children over 20 lbs. and 1 yr. of age may then be forward-facing, still
in the back seat, in a child safety seat with an internal harness.
- Once the child weighs at least 40 lbs., the child should ride in a booster
seat in the back seat until he/she is 80 lbs. and about 4’10" tall.
- Before being allowed to use only the regular vehicle lap & shoulder
seat belt, the child should be able to sit up with knees bent at the edge
of the vehicle seat, the seat belt shoulder strap should fit comfortably across
the chest (not across the neck), and the seat belt lap strap should fit low
and tight across the upper thighs.
Child Safety Seat Chart
Buckle Everyone...Every Time!
501-364-3296 |
| |
Infant |
Toddler |
Young Children |
Age/Weight |
Birth to 1 Year
0-20 lbs. |
Over 1 year
20 lbs.-40 lbs. |
4 to 8 yrs. or until 4'9" tall
Over 40 lbs. |
Type of Seat |
Infant Only
or convertible |
Convertible/or
combination |
Belt positioning
Booster seat |
Seat Position |
Rear-facing only |
Forward-facing |
Forward-facing |
Always Make Sure |
Harness straps at or
below shoulder level
Children rear-face until
1 yr. AND at least 20
lbs. (or as long as seat
allows. |
Harness straps should now be at or above shoulder level.
Most seats require use of top harness slots. |
Belt positioning booster seats must be used with both lap and shoulder
belt. To avoid injuries, the lap belt must fit tight across the lap and
the shoulder belt must fit snug across chest and shoulder. |
Warning |
All children age 12
and under should ride
in the back seat. |
All children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat. |
All children age 12 and under should ride in the back seat. |
Tips for Choosing the Best Seat for your Child
- Take your time choosing a child safety seat. Shop around. There are lots
to choose from. Think long term. Remember that you may need to buy all 3 types
of seats (infant only, convertible and booster) as your child grows up.
- Before you buy any seat, practice changing the harness and adjusting the
length of the straps. If you choose an infant-only seat with a handle, carry
the seat around the store to make sure it feels comfortable. If the seat has
a removable base, check to see how easy it is to remove.
- If possible, install the child safety seat in your vehicle before buying
it to make sure that if fits well in your vehicle. Cars with small rear seats
or bucket seats may present special problems. Practice buckling the seat tightly
into your car before your child’s first ride. It is very important that
you choose a child safety seat that is easy for YOU to use and that it will
be used correctly every time your child rides.
Infant-only seats
are designed for use with infants from birth up to 20-22 lbs. and should always
be used rear-facing in the back seat of your vehicle. Some infant-only seats
have a base that fits in your car, allowing you to remove the seat and use it
as a carrier.
Convertible seats may be used rear-facing in the back seat for larger newborns
until 1 year of age and 20-22 lbs., and then turned (converted) and used forward-facing,
still in the back seat, for children 20 to 40 lbs. Each seat is different, so
it is important to read the manufacturer’s guidelines very carefully in
regard to the seat’s weight limits.
Booster seats are designed to help an older child transition from a convertible
seat to a regular vehicle seat belt. Booster seats may be used in conjunction
with an internal harness system to 40 lbs. or may be used in conjunction with
the vehicle’s lap/shoulder seat belt to around 80 lbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why is child passenger safety so important?
A: Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children under age 14, but more than 70% of those deaths could be prevented if children were properly restrained. In a car crash at just 25 mph, an unrestrained child can slam into a dashboard or windshield at a force equal to a fall from a three-story building. Car seat check-up events have shown that more than 90% of children who are placed in child safety seats are improperly restrained – that’s 9 out of 10 children!
Q: What is the best seat?
A: With approximately 50 different child safety seat manufacturers and 200 different seat models, there is no single "best" seat. Each child safety seat fits differently in each vehicle. Not all seats can be fitted correctly in all vehicles. So, what works great in one car may not work as well in another. The best seat is the one that fits YOUR child, fits in YOUR vehicle, is easy for YOU to use correctly every time your child rides, and is a seat that YOU can afford.
Q: What are the most important features to look for in a child safety seat?
A: When possible, choose a seat with a 5-Point Harness rather than seats with t-shields or tray shields. Five points of contact on the child’s body provide the most snug fit and best protection. Look for a seat with a front adjuster. This feature will make it much easier for you to adjust the straps after the child is in the seat. For seats to be used in the forward-facing position, be sure that at least one set of the harness slots (usually the top slots) are reinforced and that they can be easily changed. Read carefully the child safety seat owner’s manual as well as the vehicle owner’s manual.
Q: Are the specialty items sold separately for child safety seats okay?
A: Any products that do not come with the child safety seat from the manufacturer are not recommended. In the event of a crash, head roll devices can release compressed air and increase body movement, shoulder strap covers can reduce the snug fit needed for best protection, and window shades or mirrors with suction cups can release and become missiles.
Q: Do I need to use the child safety seat even on short trips?
A: Yes! Never hold a child in your lap, even on a short trip. Even if you are wearing a seat belt yourself, the child is still very likely to be thrown from your arms or crushed in a collision if not properly restrained. In addition, the cargo area of a pickup truck, van or station wagon is also a very dangerous place to ride. Anyone riding in the bed of a pickup truck, even if it has a camper, is at serious risk of being thrown out and seriously injured or killed. Everyone should use a seat belt at all times.
Q: Is my child’s seat tight enough in place?
A: The seat should not move more than one inch from side to side at the belt path (slots on the seat through which the vehicle seat belt is guided before locking). Using the instructions that come with your child safety seat as a guide, be sure to place the seat belt through the correct belt path of your child safety seat. Then push the car seat very firmly into the vehicle seat, using as much of your body weight as possible and buckle. Next, pull the seat belt as tight as you can, feeding the shoulder portion of the belt back into the retractor. Finally, check to be sure that the seat does not move more than one inch from side to side at the belt path.
Q: When do I need to use a locking clip?
A: The purpose of a locking clip is to prevent the webbing of the seat belt from sliding through the latchplate, which would allow the lap portion of the belt to lengthen or loosen. Generally, a locking clip is needed when the vehicle has a continuous loop lap/shoulder seat belt with an emergency locking retractor (ELR) and a free-sliding latchplate. Read your vehicle owner’s manual to learn more about your seatbelt system. If found to be needed, the locking clip should always be placed within an inch of the latchplate (the silver tongue that fits into the buckle) and the slack from the shoulder portion of the seat belt should be reeled back into the retractor.
Q: How snug should the harness straps be around my child?
A: Allow no more than one finger underneath the straps at your child’s collarbone. Remember, a child safety works best when the straps are pulled straight over the child’s shoulders and adjusted to a snug fit. If your child safety seat has more than one set of slots for the harness straps, be sure to use the slots that are at or below the child’s shoulder level for rear-facing seats, or the reinforced slots (usually the top slots) for forward-facing seats.
Q: Is it ok to put blankets or extra padding under the harness straps?
A: No. Blankets or heavy clothing can keep the harness straps from fitting properly.
It is much better to dress the child in light clothing, place him in the sea, buckle the harness, and then cover his body with a blanket for warmth.
Q: My child safety seat seems to sit at an odd angle and to slide around. What can I do?
A: Vehicle seats are all a little different. They may have humps, slopes, grooves or any number of contours and shapes. While the middle of the back seat is generally the best place to install your child safety seat, a relatively flat surface is needed for the best fit. So, if the middle simply won’t allow a flat and snug fit, try the passenger side area of the back seat. If you have leather or vinyl seats, a piece of non-slip rug catcher placed under the child safety seat may prevent slippage. If you find it difficult to achieve the recommended 45-degree angle for the seat, you might place a fun noodle or a tightly rolled up towel under the foot of the child safety seat to tilt it back a little so that your baby’s head does not slump forward.
Q: Why should my baby ride facing the back of the vehicle?
A: An infant’s neck is not yet strong enough to withstand the forces of a crash when forward-facing. So, infants should ride rear-facing until they are 1 year of age and at least 20 lbs. It is important to know that a baby should ride rear-facing as long as possible, according to the manufacturing guidelines of the child safety seat.
Q: I can’t see my baby in the back seat – is he safe?
A: Parents should not be overly concerned that the child is out of the driver’s view in the back seat. If the baby has special health needs that require full time monitoring, ask another adult to ride with the baby in the back seat. If your baby seems a little small for the seat and his body rocks from side to side, you may place tightly rolled up receiving blankets around (not under!) the head and shoulders for support.
Q: What does "convertible" seat mean?
A: Convertible simply means that the seat may be used in the rear-facing position for infants, then turned around and "converted" to the forward-facing position until the child is 40 lbs. Different seats vary, so check the manufacturer’s guidelines for your seat. Convertible seats are available in three styles: 5-point harness, t-shield or tray shield. A 5-point harness is preferred, providing the most snug fit and best protection due to the five points of contact on the child’s body.
Q: My child is school-age now. Do they still need a booster seat?
A: Need for a booster seat is based more on height & weight than on age. For older children, booster seats raise the seating position so that the vehicle seat belt fits properly. That is low on the hips and snug on the collarbone. Without the booster, a seat belt can ride dangerously across the stomach and neck and may cause serious injuries in a crash. Generally, a booster seat should be used until the child is around 80 lbs. and 4 ft. 10 inches tall, regardless of age.
Q: What’s the difference between a high back booster seat and a no-back booster seat?
A: High back boosters may have an internal harness system (generally for use with children 30-40 lbs.) or can be used in conjunction with the vehicle’s seat belt (generally for use with children 40-80 lbs.). If your vehicle has low back seats or no head restraints, then a high-back booster should be used. If your vehicle has high back seats or has head restraints, a no-back booster should be used. No-back boosters can only be used in conjunction with the vehicle seat belt.
Q: My child complains that his seat belt is uncomfortable. Can I put the shoulder strap of the seat belt behind his back?
A: No! Never place the shoulder belt behind the back or under the arm. This will allow him to be thrown forward violently in a crash or cause him to "submarine" out from under the seat belt completely. When this happens, the force of the crash can cause ribs to break and the spleen and kidneys to be lacerated.
Q: How long should my child ride in the back seat?
A: Children under 13 years of age should always ride in the back seat. In fact, the back seat is generally the safest place for anyone in the most common type of car crash --- a head-on collision.
Q: When should a child safety seat be discarded?
A: Do not use a child safety seat that is more than six years old, has been involved in a crash, or is missing the manufacturer’s label indicating the name, model # and date of manufacture. In addition, you should never buy a used child safety seat unless you personally know that the seat has not been in a crash.
Q: What about air bags?
A: Children can be seriously injured or killed by the force of an inflating air bag. Rear-facing child safety seats should never be used in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger air bag. It is recommended that no one under 13 years old ride in the front seat at all. If a child under 13 must ride in the front seat, adjust the vehicle seat back as far as possible from the air bag system.
Arkansas Child Passenger Protection Law
- A child must ride restrained in an appropriate child safety seat until six (6) years old or until weighing sixty (60) lbs. Use your child’s age and weight to determine whether your child still needs to ride in a harness type child safety seat or a booster seat.
- Children 6-15 years of age must wear a seat belt in all seating positions.
- This is a primary law, meaning that a driver can be stopped and issued a ticket for not having a child in an appropriate child safety seat or seat belt. The minimum fine is $25 per child. The maximum fine is $100 per child.
Training Available to You
- Level I: 1-hour course
- Level II: 4-hour course
- Level III: 32-hour course with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
(NHTSA) certification as a "Car Seat Technician"
- Level IV: Instructor status so that you may train others to be a car seat technician.
For more information on training, please contact Kristen Hewitt at
HewittKC@archildrens.org or 501-364-3296.
Other Helpful Web Sites
|
