Baby Car Seat Safety Tips - A Guide For Parents
Friday, April 26, 2019
Car seat safety always comes first when on the move and it could not be more important when concerning our precious children. Take a look at our top baby car seat safety tips for your vehicle.
Baby Car Seat Safety Tips
Keeping your child safe while you are driving is paramount for every parent. Whether you are going to be travelling in the car together for a few minutes or a few hours, car seat safety tips like this article are all that you need to know to ensure that your precious cargo is safe. The first step in keeping your child protected on the road is to make sure that your baby car seat is safe and installed correctly. Once your car seat is correctly installed, you can keep your focus on the road, knowing that your baby is in good hands in the back seat.
Installing a baby car seat in your vehicle takes some care and it’s crucial that you take the time to fix it in place properly. Should you need to hit the brakes suddenly or if, in a worst-case scenario, you are involved in an accident, you want to be sure your baby is protected. You can take all the care you like on the roads but sometimes things go wrong and in this unfortunate situation you must be able to rely on your baby car seat to protect your little one.
Continue reading to learn how you can ensure that your baby car seat is safe and properly set up to keep your baby protected
1. use great care
A baby car seat safety manual is certainly not the most riveting read. However, as each seat is slightly different, it’s crucial that you follow the installation instructions very carefully. It’s advisable to read through the manual slowly before even beginning to install the car seat. Take your time and don’t rush. Installing the seat correctly and in accordance with the specific instructions provided by the manufacturer will prevent the seat from becoming dislodged or loose when you’re driving.
2. consider using a car seat fitting service
Although it might seem relatively straightforward to install your car baby seat, getting it right can often be more challenging than it might first appear. As with anything in life, when something becomes frustrating, it can be very easy to take shortcuts just to get the task over and done with. To avoid you fitting the seat incorrectly or haphazardly fitting it due to frustration, consider hiring an expert car seat fitting installation service to install it for you. With the experience of a professional, you can be 100% sure that the seat is fitted correctly and you will not have any problems on the road.
3. check straps & harnesses for wear
Over time, the straps and harnesses can become worn from use. This is especially true if you have inherited a second-hand seat from a family member or you have purchased a used baby car seat that may not be safe. Checking the straps and harnesses periodically to make sure that they are not worn too thin or damaged in any other way is a good habit to get into. You should also double-check that the seat is tightly fitted from time to time to ensure that it has not become loose, particularly if you are loading your baby in and out of it very regularly.
4. Follow Baby Car Seat Laws
In Australia, it is the law that your baby must be in a rear-facing seat until they are at least six months. However, many experts advise that you keep your child in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible. For baby’s up to six months, they must be in an approved rear-facing baby car seat and from six months to four years that can be carried in either an approved rear-facing or forward-facing baby car seat. Remember that these laws are in place to keep your baby safe in the car and you must abide by them when travelling with your baby in the car.
