A wise Tech friend once said,

“It’s not rocket science. It’s harder.”

I answer dozens of Child Passenger Safety questions on a weekly basis, helping parents make the most informed decision, keeping their precious cargo as safe as possible.

Did you know?

• Car crashes are the leading cause of accidental death in children under 14yrs old.
• 9 out of 10 car seats are not correctly installed or used.
• Each “Step up” in size/weight is actually a “Step down” in safety.
  • Rear Facing is safer than Forward Facing
  • Forward Facing is safer than a Booster.
  • Booster is safer than an Adult Seat Belt.
• Most car crashes occur close to home.
• Front End/Rear End collisions are the most common. Rear Facing to a minimum of 2 years old reduces injury by 75% and death by 90% during a crash.
• The minimum weight to move to a booster is 40lbs, BUT most children lack the mental and physical maturity to ride in a booster, until 5-6yrs old.
• Ontario law states that children must ride in a booster until they are 80lbs OR 8 years old OR 4’9” (Not in Ontario? Every province has its own regulations for car seats and booster seats). Typically, a child does not fit the adult seat belt correctly until they are 10-12 years old. Seat belts are designed for adult males, so give your child the “boost” they need to be protected.
• All Forward Facing 5-point harness seats in Canada are required to use the Top Tether.
• Your car seat should only be installed with either the Seat Belt OR Lower Anchors, never both.

Over the next few instalments, I will examine these points more in-depth, to help give parents the information they need to best protect their most precious cargo.

photo with permission from The Carseat Maven