When I was in my third trimester, I remember having so many questions related to car seat safety. It was the one thing I was most nervous about choosing for my baby. Something about driving our infant home for the first time was so intimidating to me. How do we know which car seat is the safest? What features do I need to look for in one?
Now fast forward two and a half years later I still get worried. Did I close the strap? Was it positioned correctly? Is it snug enough? SO many thoughts cross my mind but at the end of the day these are legit questions we need to ask ourselves when putting our babies in the car. A car seat is probably one of the most important items we need to purchase and should do the most research on.
You can ask my Husband, I am not a ‘read the manual’ kind of person. If there aren’t pictures involved I’m most likely not even going to look at it. Well, the car seat manual is a different conversation. I actually read it from front to back. And after hearing the staggering statistic that 7 out of 10 car seats are installed INCORRECTLY, I knew I had to do something about it.
According to the NHTSA, ~72.6% of all car seats are installed incorrectly.
I have partnered with Allana Pinkerton, the Global Safety Advocate for Diono and Certified Child Passenger Safety Instructor, to get some of our most common questions answered from an expert. Part of building this Mom community is about helping each other and making sure your exact questions and concerns get answered, so thank you for submitting them. I’m sure we can all agree that when it comes to our babies, safety is always our biggest priority. I had the pleasure of doing a brief Q&A with Allana and truly appreciate her taking the time to share her knowledge with us. I hope we can all learn something from this.
Q: What are the most important safety features when shopping for a car seat I should look for as a new Mom?
All car seats meet the same safety standards so whichever you choose on the shelf, the important thing to remember is that it must fit your car correctly. There are products on the market which enhance their car seats with extra safety features like Energy Absorbing foam and a steel frame.
Q: When do I know my child is ready for forward facing?
Children can stay rear-facing to maximum height and weight of the car seat. The AAP recommends this and many convertible car seats accommodate a child rear-facing up to 40 or even 50 lbs. The feet touching the back of the vehicle seat is not an indication they are ready to face forward. Keeping children rear-facing protects their head, neck and spinal column.
Q: How do I know my child is safely in the car seat?
Always follow the manual, install the car seat correctly and snug them up in the 5-point harness correctly. The straps go over the shoulder and around the thighs/hips snug enough that you cannot pinch the webbing at the collar bone. Be sure to pull the chest clip at armpit level so the harness straps stay on top of the shoulders.
Q: What is the best placement for car seat in the car? Behind driver, passenger or middle?
The best place to install the car seat is where ever you can get a correct fit and works with your family dynamics. Research from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia indicates there is no safer place.
Q: What if you have two kids? Where should the toddler go vs the newborn?
There are several things to consider when having two kids. If the toddler has to be dropped off at pre-school, it may be best to install the car seat on the passenger side. You may not want to place the children side by side so the toddler doesn’t inadvertently harm the newborn.
Q: How important is the expiration date on a car seat?
The expiration date is set by the manufacturer as a precaution, so it is very important. Materials breakdown over time, parts go missing, etc. so you want to be sure to stop using the seat after the expiration date. Also, this is a way for older seats to leave the market and make way for new safe technologies and advances to help protect children.
Q: Is it ok to keep a jacket or a blanket on my baby in the car seat?
Puffy coats and thick blankets should never be between the child and the harness. You may think the harness is snug enough but it will actually compress leaving the harness too loose. Strap baby into the harness and then place a blanket over them or with an older child, put the jacket on backwards when they are in their harness.
Below questions are regarding Diono car seats. Links may contain sponsored and/or affiliate links.
Q: What is your #1 selling car seat by age group?
Our number #1 selling car seat is the Radian 3 RXT, narrow enough to fit three across in most mid-size vehicles and accommodates children 5 lbs.– up to 120 lbs. It could be the only car seat your child will need.
Q: Do you have a recommendation for a high back booster seat?
Yes! I love our Monterey Booster seat. It has 11 position head support and the shoulder widens as well. Super comfortable with swivel cup holders. The Everett NXT Fix booster seat is also great and narrower to fit in smaller spaces. They both accommodate children 40-120 lbs. Booster seats are an important step we shouldn’t miss for our older kids. They are not quite ready for the adult seat belt until around age 9-12.
I hope you were able to learn something from this post. But please, if there is one thing you can take away from it let it be to read your car seat manual. Most of your questions or concerns will be answered in there. The car seat companies do so much research and put so much time to help educate us for our benefit and our kid’s safety. It’s imperative to read it from front to back and should not be overlooked. If you are nervous installing the car seat yourself bring it to your local police station or safety event to have your car seat checked and installed properly.
