A while back we, at www.amberalertgps.com, put up  a blog post about child safety seats. We just received an email from Janette Fennell, Founder/President of KidsandCars.org, who gave us some great additional information for your child safety seats. Here is what she suggests, in her own words (and we feel this is fantastic, crucial, and life-saving advice):

“Probably one of the most important points to make is that when they move their children from one seat to the next it is NOT a GRADUATION!   Parents are inadvertently demoting their children every time they change seats.

When children are moved from a rear-facing restraint to a forward-facing restraint, it is a demotion. It is not anything to celebrate. We would all, in fact, be safer rear-facing in the backseat. Keep children rear-facing as long as possible.  Did you know in Sweden children ride rear-facing until the age of 3 or 4?

When children are then moved from a forward-facing restraint to a belt-positioning booster, it is a bigger demotion. Notice the lack of ‘restraint’ in the name of the device they will be using in a vehicle. Belt-positioning boosters do not restrain children. They boost children so the adult seatbelt system fits them better.

When children are moved from a belt-positioning booster and allowed to ride in a vehicle using the adult seatbelt, this is the biggest demotion in safety terms. Remember for whom these adult seatbelts were
originally designed - 170 lb male.

And then at the magic age of 15 (formerly 13), it is safe for children to ride in the front seat!  With only two or three years to their high school graduation… we finally ‘graduate’ them into the adulthood of becoming a driver.

We all need to help parents stretch out the time kids spend at each stage — keeping the
kids there “as long as possible.”  Every step is a learning step for both parents and kids.

Celebrities ride in the back–where it is 40% safer.

The “5-Step Test” is the best way to determine if a child can be demoted/graduated to wearing an adult safety belt.

The 5-Step Test.

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the back of the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to make both the shoulder belt and the lap belt fit right for the best crash protection.  Your child will be more comfortable, too and will be able to see out the back window better!

The back seat is the safest part of the car for all passengers. Recent research shows that children should ride in the back seat until they reach age 15. At my house we say, you can sit up front when you start driving.

REVIEW:

Keep babies rear facing as long as possible

Keep small children in a car seat with a harness as long as possible

Keep older children in a booster seat for as long as possible

Keep children in the back seat until they are ready to drive.

Hope this is helpful.  If you need anything else, please feel free to contact us.”

This is great counsel, Janette. Thank you for a.) taking the time to read our blog post, and b.) giving us such wonderful content that will help our readership out significantly. Here is her information if you’d like to contact her or her organization:

Janette E. Fennell
Founder/President
KidsAndCars.org
Janette@KidsAndCars.org
(913) 327-0013
Fax (913) 327-0014
www.KidsAndCars.org
Before you turn the key; make sure you can see

Julia Howard
www.amberalertgps.com