Safe Travel: Kids Corner

Aired on Lifetime Television
Sunday, November 11 and December 30, 2007

Show 426

Did you know that four out of five harness car seats are used incorrectly? And too many booster-ready children ride with an adult seatbelt rather than in a booster seat. Always use the proper seat for your child's age, weight and height. Children under a year old should be in a rear-facing car seat, and the seat should recline no more than 45 degrees. Once your child is over a year old and more than 20 pounds, it's time for a forward-facing car seat until the seat is outgrown by height or weight. Many kids will be four or five. But car safety doesn't end when your child outgrows the car seat. Safe Kids Worldwide wants parents and children to know that the next safety step is the booster seat. Bridget Clementi, an Injury Prevention Manager at Safe Kids Worldwide says, "Use a booster seat for children who are under four foot, nine inches and under 100 pounds. If you're not sure if your child is ready for a seatbelt yet, use the Safe Kids Worldwide safety belt fit test. Step one is making sure the child fits all the way in the back of the vehicle. Step two, make sure the child's knees naturally bend over the top of the vehicle seat. Step three, the shoulder belt needs to hit the collar bone and run across the middle of the chest. Step four, the lap portion of the belt should ride low over the top of the child's pelvic bones or on top of their upper thighs. And the fifth step is making sure that your child can sit like that the entire length of the trip. Missing only one step is not safe." So always make sure your bigger child sits, pulls, crosses and clicks into a booster seat; use your harness car seat correctly for children under 40 pounds; and, by the way, be sure everyone, including adults, are buckled too.