It's Child Passenger Safety Week!

Did you know that almost 75% of car seats are not installed or used properly? (Safe Kids USA)

Want personalized help??? Child Passenger Safety Technicians are certified (after a 32 hour class!) to teach you how to choose the correct seat; install it properly into your vehicle; & safely secure your child. Locally, technicians offer free car seat checks in both Granville & Vance counties. Find your Safe Kids coalition here.

Here are a few general tips for each of the 4 stages.

* Rear-facing
- Experts recommend riding rear-facing until age 2 or as long as the seat allows. It's much safer.
- The seat's recline angle helps young infants breathe. Park somewhere flat & use the car seat's recline level, line, or label. Many also have ways to adjust.
- If your seat can be used both rear-facing & forward-facing, the car seat labels will tell you the correct belt path, weight limits, etc., for each.

* Forward-facing with harness
- Check your car seat labels for guidance on minimum & maximum weights on direction, harness straps, or lower anchors. Being rear-facing & using the harness as long as your seat allows are safest.
- Change harness straps to be at or slightly above your child's shoulders.
- To help prevent whiplash, attach the top tether strap to your vehicle's approved anchor point.

* Booster seat
- Booster seats use the vehicle seat belt instead of a harness. Boosters raise kids into the proper position for this.
- Boosters are available as no-back or high-back. No-back boosters should only be used if your vehicle has head restraints (rests). Some parents still choose a high-back for other reasons, though.
- Most booster seats are not connected to the vehicle. If equipped, the top tether strap should still be used.

* Seatbelt
- A seatbelt should fit snugly across the shoulder, chest, & upper thighs. Rubbing against the face, neck, or stomach is unsafe. Putting the shoulder belt behind you isn't safe, either.
- The back seat is safer. Keep kids in the back seat at least through age 12.
- Having airbags is not a good reason to stop wearing a seatbelt. They are designed to work together.

Learn more at:
- Safe Kids' Car Seat Safety Tips
- National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's Car Seat Safety.