Proper Installation is Key to Making Car Seats Safe and Effective
Choosing and installing a car seat is one of the most important parts of getting ready for your new baby, and an important part of your baby’s transition from infant to toddler and from toddler to preschooler. That is because motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for children over the age of 1.
Properly used car seats are the single best means of protecting infants and toddlers in car crashes, yet research shows that four out of five car seats are used incorrectly. When car seats are not secured properly in vehicles, children are placed in seats that are inappropriate for their age and weight, or children are not belted correctly in their seats, it places children at risk of injury or death in a crash. Puzzling directions, a huge variety of seats on the market and a wide array of vehicles and seat belt systems can add up to major confusion for parents. Luckily, the child passenger safety experts at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital are here to help.
The experts at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital are nationally certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians who have received special training and can help you work through any issue or question related to keeping kids safe in motor vehicles.
Rainbow offers free Car Seat Fit Stops at the hospital’s main campus in University Circle, where parents and caregivers can get help in choosing a car seat that is appropriate for their child’s age and weight and have car seats checked for correct installation. Experts at Rainbow’s Car Seat Fit Stop can help walk parents through important decisions—whether it is picking out the first car seat for a new arrival, deciding when it is appropriate to turn a rear-facing infant forward facing, or making the transition out of car seats into booster seats or seat belts.
If you have questions about how best to protect your little traveler, or need help with installing a car seat, call the University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Injury Prevention Center’s Child Passenger Safety Hotline at 216-844-2277.