recently I've came across many parents keeping their children forward facing in their child restrains... as a National Highway Traffic Safety Admin certified Child Restrain technician I want to share with you all:
law states is okay to turn a 1 year and 20 lbs child forward facing, however PARENTS! keep your child rear facing as long as possible until the capacity of weight reaches on your child restraint ( child seat) before 2 years of age, their spine do not have those facets developed, those facets holds the discs on the spine... a minor collision may cause their disc to slip out and paralyze for life! rear facing increase "ride down time" (the time that it takes your body to come to a complete stop in a car crash) for your child.. it's best practice to keep them rear facing ... some people say.. oh but my child's legs are bending... well... you don't get a second chance with your child's back, and the legs are designed to bend...
It is never recommended to use a seat protector. They will ALWAYS mask a bad install, haven't been crash tested with most seats and can void the warranty of the seat. Impressions are always going to happen, some worse than others. As a car passenger safety technician, all we are allowed to recommend is a thin receiving blanket on the back and bottom, the likelihood that anything thicker than a towel masks a bad install is pretty likely. None of the car seats on the market should rip or tear your leather. It is recommended that if you are worried about impressions, to pop the seats out on a regular basis (say once a month) and leave them out for a couple of days. Any impressions in the seat will then pop back to normal.
1. The Mighty Tight seatbelt tightened, is BAD. It uses teeth to grip the seatbelt & has shredded seatbelts. It weakens the seatbelt, so when the pressure of an accident pulls the child seat it can snap the seatbelt, giving the affect the seat was never buckled in.
2. Using center seat with lower anchors, the manufacturer says not to as this is dangerous no matter how tight you get it. This has either mot been tested for safety (and your child shouldn't be a test dummy) or when tested it failed.
3. The safest position is the one where the seat can be installed properly. That being said, when possible the center is safest.
4. Never use seat protectors, they interfere with the proper install of the seat.
5. When choosing seat positions for multiple children the least protected need to be in the center. (I'll go into protection down a little ways.)
6. The 3-in-1 or All-In-One seats only harness to between 40 & 60lbs & then boost til 100lbs & only properly boost about 50% of kids.
I know I'm forgetting one!
The most important thing about car seats is proper installation & use. Some things aren't as obvious as others. So I'm going to run down going usual suspect list of improper use.
1. Harness height, when rear facing they need to come out at or below the shoulders. For front facing at or above shoulders, but not at the ear level.
2. Straps need to lay flat, not twisted, & be 'snug as a hug', for rear facing the shoulder straps will need to be AT or below shoulder high, forward facing will need to be AT or Above shoulder high, this is very important!, if you have it lower than child's shoulder in a forward facing mode, in an event of car accident, this might cause the harness strap to break their shoulders!
3. The chest clip needs to be at the chest or about nipple high.
4. Never soak the straps, it weakens them. Clean with a damp rag.
5. I know everyone here has aftermarket parts on their Subaru's , Evo, M3, whatever modded cars you guys and girls drive, but on a car seat it's dangerous. If it didn't come with the seat it wasn't crash tested with the seat.
6. Coats should never be worn in a car seat. They compress in accidents & give enough toom between the straps & your child that they could slip out. If costs are needed put them on backwards after buckling the harness.
7. Every Step up in car seats is a step down in protection. Rear facing is safest to the limit of the seat. Next harness until at least 6, most children don't fit boosters younger & aren't mature enough to sit properly. Regular seatbelts are not made for children & generally don't fit until someone is 5', yes, 5' not 4' 9".
8. When using a booster or no seat the seatbelt needs to fall across the center of the chest, not riding high on the neck/face. The lap portion needs to lay across the thighs, not riding up on the soft belly. Also the knees need to bent comfortably over the edge of the seat & the child needs to sit straight up, no leaning, hunching or putting the shoulder belt behind them.
I think I hit the major points.
Most important thing about care seats is proper use. Start by finding the seat that fits your car (not all seats fit all cars) & that fits your child (some seats are better for chubby kids while others are not) & then use it properly & you will have the best seat for your child.
Child seat law:
Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.
Children under the age of 8 who are 4' 9" or taller may be secured by a safety belt in the back seat.
Children who are 8 years and over shall be properly secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint system or safety belt.
感謝駛迪格慷慨供稿，在這邊提醒美國家長們，孩子是你們一輩子的愛，切忌貪一時方便造成終生遺憾，所以請注意兒童安全座椅的安裝，讓他們健康長大，後段有中文「片段」翻譯，因為文章好長，有些章句不是很懂。
Recently I've came across many parents keeping their children forward facing in their child restrains... as a National Highway Traffic Safety Admin certified Child Restrain technician I want to share with you all:
law states is okay to turn a 1 year and 20 lbs child forward facing, however PARENTS! keep your child rear facing as long as possible until the capacity of weight reaches on your child restraint ( child seat) before 2 years of age, their spine do not have those facets developed, those facets holds the discs on the spine... a minor collision may cause their disc to slip out and paralyze for life! rear facing increase "ride down time" (the time that it takes your body to come to a complete stop in a car crash) for your child.. it's best practice to keep them rear facing ... some people say.. oh but my child's legs are bending... well... you don't get a second chance with your child's back, and the legs are designed to bend...
It is never recommended to use a seat protector. They will ALWAYS mask a bad install, haven't been crash tested with most seats and can void the warranty of the seat. Impressions are always going to happen, some worse than others. As a car passenger safety technician, all we are allowed to recommend is a thin receiving blanket on the back and bottom, the likelihood that anything thicker than a towel masks a bad install is pretty likely. None of the car seats on the market should rip or tear your leather. It is recommended that if you are worried about impressions, to pop the seats out on a regular basis (say once a month) and leave them out for a couple of days. Any impressions in the seat will then pop back to normal.
1. The Mighty Tight seatbelt tightened, is BAD. It uses teeth to grip the seatbelt & has shredded seatbelts. It weakens the seatbelt, so when the pressure of an accident pulls the child seat it can snap the seatbelt, giving the affect the seat was never buckled in.
2. Using center seat with lower anchors, the manufacturer says not to as this is dangerous no matter how tight you get it. This has either mot been tested for safety (and your child shouldn't be a test dummy) or when tested it failed.
3. The safest position is the one where the seat can be installed properly. That being said, when possible the center is safest.
4. Never use seat protectors, they interfere with the proper install of the seat.
5. When choosing seat positions for multiple children the least protected need to be in the center. (I'll go into protection down a little ways.)
6. The 3-in-1 or All-In-One seats only harness to between 40 & 60lbs & then boost til 100lbs & only properly boost about 50% of kids.
I know I'm forgetting one!
The most important thing about car seats is proper installation & use. Some things aren't as obvious as others. So I'm going to run down going usual suspect list of improper use.
1. Harness height, when rear facing they need to come out at or below the shoulders. For front facing at or above shoulders, but not at the ear level.
2. Straps need to lay flat, not twisted, & be 'snug as a hug', for rear facing the shoulder straps will need to be AT or below shoulder high, forward facing will need to be AT or Above shoulder high, this is very important!, if you have it lower than child's shoulder in a forward facing mode, in an event of car accident, this might cause the harness strap to break their shoulders!
3. The chest clip needs to be at the chest or about nipple high.
4. Never soak the straps, it weakens them. Clean with a damp rag.
5. I know everyone here has aftermarket parts on their Subaru's , Evo, M3, whatever modded cars you guys and girls drive, but on a car seat it's dangerous. If it didn't come with the seat it wasn't crash tested with the seat.
6. Coats should never be worn in a car seat. They compress in accidents & give enough toom between the straps & your child that they could slip out. If costs are needed put them on backwards after buckling the harness.
7. Every Step up in car seats is a step down in protection. Rear facing is safest to the limit of the seat. Next harness until at least 6, most children don't fit boosters younger & aren't mature enough to sit properly. Regular seatbelts are not made for children & generally don't fit until someone is 5', yes, 5' not 4' 9".
8. When using a booster or no seat the seatbelt needs to fall across the center of the chest, not riding high on the neck/face. The lap portion needs to lay across the thighs, not riding up on the soft belly. Also the knees need to bent comfortably over the edge of the seat & the child needs to sit straight up, no leaning, hunching or putting the shoulder belt behind them.
I think I hit the major points.
Most important thing about care seats is proper use. Start by finding the seat that fits your car (not all seats fit all cars) & that fits your child (some seats are better for chubby kids while others are not) & then use it properly & you will have the best seat for your child.
Child seat law:Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.
Children under the age of 8 who are 4' 9" or taller may be secured by a safety belt in the back seat.
Children who are 8 years and over shall be properly secured in an appropriate child passenger restraint system or safety belt.
兒童安全座椅攸關生命，這邏輯許多家長明白，但往往無法落實。儘管花錢買座椅，卻在安裝過程出錯，或貪圖方便未按規定使用，以致意外發生時未能發揮，造成孩童永久性傷害。警察提醒，駕車民眾可就近前往兒童安全座椅檢查所（Child
passenger safety seat inspection）求助。
「我注意到許多家長安裝兒童安全座椅，均將孩子的臉朝前，這在全國公路安全局（National
Traffic Safety
admin）、兒童安全檢查員標準、加州政府而言，都可以接受。但我建議家長，除非孩子年滿一歲或20磅重，否則在未滿兩歲前，最好將臉朝後方。」現在洛杉磯市警局宣導兒童安全座椅的王以安警官解釋。
他說，幼兒的脊椎在兩歲前，都不算發育完全，任何輕微的交通事故，都可能傷及他們的椎間盤造成癱瘓。因此，臉朝後方一旦事故發生時，會增加下移時間（Ride
down time），意指移動身體所需的緩衝時間，此舉可把車輛衝擊身體的力道降低。
王以安同時表示，他個人不建議家長裝兒童安全座椅配椅墊（Seat
protector），因為這會影響兒童安全座椅的安裝與固定。身為一位汽車安全技術宣導員，家長可選用薄毯覆蓋椅背和椅面，任何覆蓋物厚度超過一條毛巾（Towel），都可能影響兒童安全座椅。
後座安裝兒童安全座椅，最佳的位置在中間，安裝時務必謹守建議步驟，錯過任何程序都可能在意外發生時造成傷害。坊間販售的三合一、全功能（All-in-one）座椅，適合對象是40到60磅的孩子，並不是所有孩童都適合。
裝兒童安全座椅時，記得安全帶不要扭轉，必須是平的。且不同重量、身材、坐姿的高度均不同，家長不要一視同仁，要知道若前座的座椅低於兒童肩膀，意外發生因肩膀缺少緩衝而重傷。胸扣應在胸部位置，或者比乳頭略高，切勿輕忽這個細節。
另安全座椅的保障架構於安全帶，所以其清潔和保養非常重要，切忌以肥皂水清洗，這會弱化安全帶結構。小孩子乘坐安全座椅時，不應該穿上外套，因為其與身體的間隙會造成意外率提升。在選購兒童安全座椅時，應避免購買二手貨，尤其是發生過意外的座椅，因其結構已產生變化，難以承受二度衝擊，這跟安全帽理論一樣，家長請勿因小失大。
王以安提醒，法律規定幼童需滿五呎高，才可以拿掉安全座椅，這是因專業認證在此高度以下的孩子，使用成人安全帶不安全，所以未滿五呎請勿貪圖方便，叫孩子直接上車，這會提升他們搭車風險。
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