Child Car Safety
CHILD SAFETY IN THE CAR
If you have a child, it is an absolutely inevitable fact that at some point or other, you will have them in your car. There are doctor’s appointments keep, soccer practice sessions to attend and then of course there is pre-school or daycare to go to. Child car safety is vital because most vehicles have safety measure targeting teenagers and adults leaving children below the age of nine basically unprotected. It is therefore absolutely necessary to have a child car seat installed in your vehicle for the sake of your child’s safety and your peace of mind.
Which are the best child car seats available?
The need to keep children safe while in the car has led to markets being flooded with all sorts of new brands of child car seats. The importance of the right choice of brand cannot be emphasized enough. Some of the products are very low quality and could end up exposing your child to more risk than necessary.This was shown in a survey conducted by the CDC in 2014 that showed a total of 9000 child deaths and 12000 injuries between 2003 and 2011 experienced after car accidents. Most of these are caused by faulty child car seats that are unable to adequately protect the child. Below are the top three child car seat and booster seat brands that are available on Amazon.
- Graco Natilus 3-in-one Car Seat-This seat is designed for children between the ages of one and ten. It can be used as a high back booster, a backless booster and as a harness seat for children between 20 and 65 pounds. It is a strong seat reinforced by steel frames ensuring maximum security for your child.
- Evenflo Big Kid AMP Booster car seat- This is one of the most commonly bought booster seat on Amazon and it is not difficult to see why. It is comfortable to sit on and is available in many different colors and designs for the child’s enjoyment. It can be converted into a backless booster for children between 40 and 100 pounds.
- Chicco Key Fit Infant Car Seat-Chicco is a bigwig brand in the world of baby products. This seat is ideal for infants and shouldn’t be used by children above the age of two. It can be detached from the base and used as a carrier allowing you to walk around with your baby without spending on a separate baby carrier. It also has an umbrella cover for when it is being used as a carrier. It is easy to install and use.
Comparison between the top three brands
Latch mechanism
Graco:It has aFit-to-car latch mechanism that uses hooks. This means that it is flexible and can easily be installed in any vehicle.
Evenflo: It has no latches for attachment to the car.
Chicco:Hook latches for installation.
Number of recline positions
Graco:Has six recline position easily adjustable for comfort.
Evenflo:One reclining position
Chicco:Five reclining positions.
Booster height range
Graco: 38-57 inches
Evenflo:40-57 inches
Chicco:Does not work as a booster seat.
Set-up capabilities
Graco:Can only be used in the forward facing position.
Evenflo:Forward facing set-up only.
Chicco:Both forward and backward facing positions are acceptable.
Which is the best part of the car to set up the seat?
After getting the right child car seat or booster seat, the next big question is where to have it set up. The first place to eliminate should be the co-driver’s seat. This might give you better access to your child but in case you are involved in an accident, the sheer force of the airbags alone is enough to cause some pretty bad injuries to your child. The front seat is also the worst due to the proximity to important controls such as gears and signal knobs which could cause confusion on the road if the child starts playing with them.
The next place to eliminate is the two back seats near the window. First of all, in case there is direct impact to the side during an accident, the child could be fatally injured. Having seats nest to the doors is also dangerous because of the risk of having the door open while that car moves or the child being injured by glass in cases of robbery attempts.
This leaves the middle seat at the back as your best option. It is away from the most common sources of danger and gives the driver better access to the child if there is need for it.
Do not leave your child in your car
What are the pros and cons of having a child car seat?
It goes without saying that the number one intention and benefit of having a child car seat is that your child is safe at all times when he or she is in the car. And isn’t that what every parent or guardian wants? Other advantages include:
- Car seats are easy to install and to remove while not in use. They can be removed for cleaning or to create more space.
- Car seats are designed not only for safety but also for comfort meaning that your child gets to travel in a relaxed setting.
- Car seats are colorful and can have toys attached to them using strings. This keeps the children busy and entertained during the trip.
- Car seats eliminate the need to have an extra person in the car to take care of the child as you drive.
There is only one disadvantage of having a child car seat and this is the fact that it consumes a lot of space. But any good parent or guardian will tell you that this is truly a non-issue compared to their child’s safety.
