It is of great importance to not only get your child a child safety seat but to also install and use it correctly.  In the United States, motor vehicle collisions are the most common cause of children’s deaths and injuries.  An average of 600 children die as a result of motor vehicle accidents each year, and it is estimated that as much as 70% of these deaths could have been prevented with proper safety seat use.

There are 3 basic steps to ensure your child’s safety in the care.

Kentucky law (189.125 Requirements of use of seat belts, child restraint systems, and child booster seats)

Children 40 inches or less in height must be properly secured in a child restraint system  that meets federal motor vehicle safety standards.  Any child under the age of 7 years who is between 40 and 50 inches in height must be in a child booster seat. Fine: $30-$50

Infant Seats

Infant safety seats are ideal for use in the first year or until the child weighs 18-22 pounds and is 26 inches tall.  Each specific seat will come with specific manufacturer’s guidelines that should be specifically followed.  Infant seats should always be place facing the rear of the vehicle.

Tansitional Seats

A transitional seat is known as “convertible seats”.  Convertible seats can be used both rear and forward facing depending on the age and size of your child.  The safest position is rear facing and should remain rear facing as long as possible.  You are able to switch to forward-facing once the child is 20 pounds AND 1 year of age.  The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends remaining rear facing until age 2.  Most convertible seats are approved for rear-facing up to 30-35 pounds. Convertible seats are designed to fit children in forward-facing position until they weigh 40 pounds or more, which is typically around 4 to 5 years of age.  However, when your child’s ears hit the top of the seat, or their shoulders are above the top slots of the seat, it’s time to move to a combination or booster seat. USE A CONVERTIVLE SEAT UNTIL YOUR CHILD OUTGROWS IT!   The convertible seats protect better, help keep your child from moving around and provide more support for sleeping than a booster seat. 

Belt-Positioning Booster Seats

Once your child has outgrown a convertible seat, it’s time to move to a belt-positioning booster seat. (Booster seat use is extremely important because most children do not fit properly into an adult seat belt until they are about 4 feet, 9 inches tall and weigh about 80 pounds.)

Tips for  Happy Travel:

• Take along a favorite security toy or blanket
• Take along a favorite security toy or blanket
• Tape bright magazine pictures of the seat back for infants to look at as they face the rear of the vehicle.
• Provide age-appropriate items, such as teething rings,
  books, crayons, paper, finger puppets and storybook tapes.
• Bring along snacks, but avoid foods likely to cause choking, such as raisins, carrots, nuts, grapes or hotdogs.
• Let children personalize their seats with stickers, names, racing stripes, etc.
• Keep children busy to avoid boredom and problem behavior
• Count signs, blue cars, cows, anything!
• Look fo colors, letters, or numbers on signs or license plates.  Play car bingo.
• Sing nursery rhymes, seasonal songs or songs about the state you are in for long trip.
• Play their favorite music in the car
• Bring out treats and toys one at a time from a "surprise bag"  

Additional information: 

If you have questions about the proper use of child safety seats, please call Cincinnati Children’s at 513-636-7865 or the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-424-9393.

For additional car safety seat information, you can access

these web sites:

• Cincinnati Childern's Hospital Vehicle Safety
• Safe Kids USA
• www.CarSeat.org