Baby Car Seat Safety: Knowing Makes All the Difference
Most parents are familiar with our laws in the United States regarding baby car seats; even hospitals won't allow mother's to leave with their infants until they actually see a baby car seat in the vehicle- its part of baby safety and its efforts are paying off. Since the mid seventies, infant car seats have become a norm for American's. Since that time, it's been estimated that baby car seats have saved at least 7,000 children under the age of four. Today, all fifty of our states have some type of child restraint laws enforced. Some are less stringent than others, like in Alaska and Florida, where only children under 3 are required to be placed in a car seat. Other states, like Indiana and Pennsylvania put a higher emphasis on baby protection and thus require a child be placed in a child restraint device until age 7.
According to the NHTSA, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, all infants under the age of one and at least weighing 20 pounds should always be placed in rear facing infant car seats. For adequate infant safety, this device should always be placed in the backseat. Many mother's neglect to do this because they cannot easily see their infants while driving if the child is in the backseat; however, experts say this is the safest way to protect your child from injury when the vehicle is involved in a car accident.
Britax, a leading pioneer in child seat safety equipment, manufacturers several different child restraint seating devices, including those that are rear-facing and adequately proven safe for children under age 1; with a maximum height of 30 inches and a maximum weight of 22 pounds. Britax car seats are also available in the convertible models which convert to the front-facing mode, when the child begins to grow. These car seats are proven safe until the maximum weight of 35 pounds is reached. As well, Britax makes forward-facing booster seats for children weighing up to 100 pounds or having a maximum height of 60 inches. Car seat safety is Britaxs' only goal when manufacturing and distributing child restraint devices. The watchdog for million of American's, Consumer Reports, has many times listed Britax infant car seats as their top ranking system for quality and price. The company continues to pioneer and make every effort to improve their systems by using the best technology available.
Statistics have shown an overall improvement for usage of infant car seats. Still, hundreds more each year could have been saved if they were properly restrained. That's why it's so important to follow manufacturers guidelines listed on each and every baby car seat. Comfortable car seats are much different than the smaller infant only car seats. Each manufacturer, including Britax, posts instructions on their seats for all owners. As well, each vehicle may have different instructions for use of infant restraint devices; so always check your vehicle owner's manual. Did you know that Graco Car Seats were some of the first to create a drop in car seat that attached to a baby stroller? A car seat that converts to a stroller is often a top choice for parents because of its versatility.