In a crash, at just 30 miles per hour an unrestrained passenger can be thrown forward with a force of forty to fifty times their body weight. Because of this and seat belt laws, the first thing you do when you get into a car is put on your seat belt. What if the passenger is a child? Of course we would strap them in as well, but many child seats in cars do not pass safety standards. Some common problems found are:
-Child seat not securely fastened in the vehicle
-Tethers not used correctly, or used at all
-Shoulder harness placed in the incorrect slot of the child seat
-Child in the incorrect seat for his/her weight, height and age
-Safety regulations and standards change, so second hand owners are unaware of safety recall notices
-Install labels become faded by the sunlight exposure / installation booklets are lost
-Plastic parts on the seat can become weakened by sunlight exposure
-Food or cleaners spilled or used on parts may weaken parts or cause them to not work properly
-The seat may have even been abused or in an accident already.
-Many seats are just too complicated to use.
For your child’s safety, CLICK HERE for a chart on Correct Usage of Child Seats and keep up to date with recalls that may effect your child’s car seat.
