CHILD SAFETY SEATS

The single most important thing you can do to protect your children is to buckle them up properly every time. Child safety seats, when correctly installed and used, reduced the risk of death by up to 71%. They also reduce the need for hospitalization by 69% for children ages 4 and under. 

But finding the right seat can be confusing. It’s important to use a seat that is appropriate for your child’s age and size, and that fits properly in your vehicle. There are many factors to consider in determining the appropriate seat, but the most important are a child’s age and size. Check out the National SAFE KIDS Campaign child safety seat locator to find the right seat for your child.

Here are some guidelines that can help:

• All children ages 12 and under should ride in the back seat.

• Infants should be in a rear-facing child safety seat until at least 20 pounds and at least 1 year old.  Never put a rear facing infant or convertible safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active passenger air bag.

• Children over 1 year old and between 20 and 40 pounds can be in forward facing child safety seats, or in rear facing convertible seats if the child has not reached the maximum rear facing weight.

• Children ages 4 to 8 (about 40 – 80 pounds) should be in a booster seat and restrained with a lap and shoulder belt every time they ride.  Adult safety belts alone do not adequately protect children this size from injury in a crash.

• Usually, children over 80 pounds and 8 years old can fit correctly in lap/shoulder belts.  When the child is sitting all the way back against the vehicle seat, the lap belt should fit across the child’s hips, not the stomach.  The shoulder belt should cross the center of the shoulder.  Do not let your child put shoulder belts under their arms or behind their backs.  This could result in serious injury.

• Replace any child safety seat that has been involved in a crash.

CHILD SAFETY SEAT INSPECTIONS

As a community service, The Mundelein Fire Department offers a FREE child's car seat inspections by a trained technician. As part of the service, we instruct parents on the proper technique of installing a car seat as well as advising them if the seat in which they are using has been recalled.

CHILD SAFETY SEAT RECALLS

Because of a defect creating an unsafe condition, a child safety seat may be "recalled". This unsafe condition could cause injury to your child. Manufacturers are required to fix the problem free of charge.

If your safety seat has been recalled, be sure to get it fixed right away. The latest recall information can be found online by visiting the Safe Ride website.

Please call us at 1-847-949-3260 and schedule an appointment to have your child's car seat installation inspected.