locking devices. Read the instructions that come with your child's safety seat, as well as those that come with your vehicle, before beginning installation.
Here are some general guidelines to follow:
Always be sure that you are routing the vehicle's seat belt correctly through the safety seat that you both see and hear the seat belt click in place. If you are using a three-point lap/shoulder belt, you must route both lap and shoulder components through the safety seat. If your seat belts feature an automatic locking retractor (ALR/ELR), make sure you pull on the shoulder belt until it is fully extended to bring it into automatic lock mode, then allow the blet to retract.
Once the belt is fastened, check by tugging on the seat to be sure that it is tight and there is no slack.
Each time you use the safety seat, check to be sure it's still securely in place (it shouldn't wiggle from side to side or be able to be pulled foward) before buckling your child into it. Pushing down on the seat while fastening it in place will help. If you're having trouble installing a seat or you aren't sure you have installed it correctly, call your vehicle manufacturer's customer service line for help. Even when a child safety seat isn't in use, be sure it is securely fastened so that it won't become a projectile in a short stop or crash.
The right use. Buckling up correctly is just as important as proper installation. Again, precisely follow directions that come with the child safety seat. In general, to buckle up:
Child safety seats. Adjust the harness atraps for your child's size. For rear-facing seats, route the straps through the slots at or below shoulder level. For
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front-facing seats, route the straps at or above shoulder level. For all, fasten the harness clip at armpit level.
Very young babies may need extra support in a rear-facing seat for both safety and comfort (see For Comfort's Sake on page 2). And don't wrap a baby in a blanket or a bunting before placing in an infant safety seat. For proper fit, fasten the harness first, then cover baby with a blanket (if the car interior is cold). When using the infant carrier/child safety seat, be sure that the carry handle is never in front of the baby's head when the car is in motion.
Seat belts, with or without boosters. The vehicle's seat back should be up-right, not reclined (a reclining passenger could slide under and out of the belt in a crash). The lap portion of the belt should fit snugly and be as low as possible on the hips. The shoulder and across the chest, and not across the face and/or neck (some newer vehicles have adjustable shoulder belt anchors, making a proper fit easier). If the child is not comfortable in the shoulder belt, do not slip the belt under the arm or behind the back, because this could cause serious injury in a crash. Instead, use a booster seat.
The right rules. The following rules apply to car safety no matter what kind of car you're driving, no matter what kind of safety seats you choose:
Never start the car until everyone is buckled up. There is never a good reason to allow a child--or adult--to ride unrestrained in a car, not for any length of time. Not only can those who are unbuckled be injured in the event of a crash, they can also become dangerous flying objects, injuring others, especially small children. If you're renting a car, ask the
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