Installing that child safety seat.
So you’ve research child safety seats and have gone out and purchased one. Now you just have to figure out how to install it in your vehicle.
Child safety seats sold today are equipped with the LATCH system. This makes it SO MUCH EASIER to install the seats. And yup, I meant to capitalize aka yell that, because what a difference it makes! If you have an older vehicle without the LATCH system just skip the LATCH paragraph and I’ll explain how to install the seat without the LATCH system down a bit.
Please note that all infant and child car seats should be placed in the BACK seat of your vehicle. This is regardless if you have front seat airbags or not. The ONLY exception to this would be pick-up trucks with no rear seat. If your vehicle has side air bags check your vehicle manual and the car safety seat manual for the best placement of the child safety seat in your vehicle.
The LATCH system stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children. It is a system that uses anchors in the vehicle and straps with clips on the seat that attach to the vehicle’s anchors. You place the child safety seat on the car seat. Clip both of the straps on the car seat into the anchors at the base of your vehicles seat. The tether strap at the top of the child safety seat clips into the anchor at either the top back of your vehicles seat, or in mini-vans to the bottom of the back of your vehicles seat. You then need to place a weight greater than that of your child in the seat and tighten down the anchor and tether straps. I do this by literally sitting in my child’s seat. Or you can place your knee in the seat, but all your weight on your knee and then tighten the straps. If the seat can wiggle when you’re done it’s not in tight enough and you’ll need to tighten all of the straps.
If your vehicle does not have the LATCH system you’ll need to install with your seatbelts. To do this you’ll need a locking clip. This should come with the car safety seat. Usually it is snapped into the back of the seat. The directions with the seat probably explain it better than I can. You will take the locking clip and thread the seatbelt through it. This will keep the seatbelt taut and will not allow any ‘play’ on the belt. Thread the seatbelt through the child safety seat following the directions that came with the seat. You will then need to either sit or kneel in the child safety seat and attach the seatbelt buckle. You’ll need to undo the seatbelt and adjust the locking clip several times before you can get it snug enough. The goal is for the child safety seat to not be able to wiggle.
If you’re not sure if you’ve installed the seat correctly or need some help contact your local Police or Fire Department. Most departments have someone on staff who is a Certified Car Safety Seat Inspector. You’ll need to make an appointment with them for when this person is on duty. If your city or town does not have a person who does this they can usually refer you to someplace that does. You can also check out the NHTSA website at www.nhtsa.gov or www.seatcheck.org. Both organizations also have help lines at 866/SEATCHECK (866/732-8243) or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888/327-4236.
You can also find out more information on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.
Gail Klanchesser is a MoM of 4 and the owner of Coastal CPR and First Aid, LLC located on the New Hampshire Seacoast. She regular writes and blogs on CPR, First Aid, and Safety topics topics as well as her random life with kids. You can follow Gail on her blog , Twitter, and Facebook.
