Fix an Improperly Installed Child Car Seat
Statistics show that the majority of car seats are installed improperly, which poses a safety hazard to infants and children. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources to help ensure that your car seat is installed correctly. If you have any doubt about the safety of your child car seat, you can usually ask your local fire department to check it. Or, to do it yourself, consider these tips on how to fix an improperly installed child car seat.
Steps
- Find out whether your car comes equipped with the LATCH system. This stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children, and is a way to anchor the child safety seat to the car's seat. Most cars made after 2002 have this feature.
- Make sure that your child car seat is compatible with the LATCH system if you plan to use it. The product's instruction manual should mention this detail.
- Use the seat belt to secure the child car seat if your vehicle does not have the LATCH system.
- Choose the area in the car where you want your baby to sit. The middle of the backseat is considered the safest, but the LATCH system is usually only installed behind the driver's or passenger's seats. It is never safe to put a child safety seat in the front seat.
- Place the car seat in the right direction for your child's weight and age. Recommendations vary by state, but typically babies who are under age 1 and less than 20 pounds (9.07 kg) should be in a rear facing car seat, while those who are older and heavier can face forward.
- Pull the seat belt out until it can go no further. Let it retract until you hear a click, as this means that it has locked and cannot be pulled any more. This will keep it tight around the car seat, avoiding any slack.
- Slide the seat belt through the appropriate slots in the car seat. Read your car seat's owner's manual if you are not sure where to find these.
- Ask someone else to push down on the child safety seat so that it is snug against the car's seat. While they do this, make the seat belt as tight as you can over the safety seat.
- Utilize a locking clip if your seat belt does not lock properly. This affixes the shoulder belt and lap belt together, allowing the seat belt to be tight against the child safety seat. Many child car seats come with a locking clip, but it can also be purchased separately.
- Ensure that the child car seat does not move more than about 1 inch (2.54 cm) from side to side or back and forth when you put pressure on it. If it does, press on it and tighten the seat belt again.
- Attend an inspection class to check your car seat installation. These are usually free and held at retail stores that sell baby items. You can also request that the local fire department check your work.
