Babies account for a large number of avoidable deaths during accidents. That's why choosing the safest car seat must be your priority when you get around to shopping for car seats for babies. Research has shown that serious injury or death can be avoided by over 70% with a correctly installed safe baby car seat. From the outset however, it is important for you to know that the car seat, however safe, must also be compatible with your car. This ensures that you are able to install the car seat properly. Impromptu checks conducted on major highways in Canada late last year revealed that of all the car seats in use during the checks, over 75% of them were installed incorrectly. The most common error diagnosed was either installed car seats for babies without adequate harnessing or having a car seat with loose seat belts.
Several factors should be taken into consideration when shopping for the safest baby car seat. Brand new car seats for babies should be bought instead of second hand. A second hand seat might seem cheaper from the outset but it will cost you a rib in maintenance due to accumulated wear and tear.
You can get good bargain for brand new car seats for babies if you shop online. Here you can easily compare both the prices and features of each model. You can also get information on choosing the safest baby car seat. Lighter car seats for babies will be more ideal if you will have to take the car seat out every time, such as when changing cars. Alternatively, a reclining seat will be more appropriate for long journeys since it can function as a bed in case your baby needs to sleep.
Other important factors to consider when choosing the safest car seat for baby include the weight and size of your baby. This is not often correctly determined by their age. Some babies are lighter than some older babies. Weight and size should therefore be determined independent of age. Different car seats for babies in the market have different weight limits and this must be considered carefully while buying the safest car seat for baby.
The style of the car seat you choose should also complement your baby's special circumstance. Babies below 10kg or 20 pounds should have a car seat installed to face the rear of the car. Additionally, these car seats must always be in the backseat. A safe baby car seat should be big enough to support the baby's spine, neck and head.
When choosing the safest car seat for baby, it is also prudent to consider that babies are always growing. For instance, when a baby attains 10kg-18kg, which is approximately at 4 years old, he or she can then graduate to a car seat that faces forward. Still, it is important to keep the baby in the car's back seat and not the front one. The safest baby car seat must also be complemented by other safety measures. You should for example ensure that the seats in front of the baby have no airbags. The net impact of a tight airbag can be far too severe for the baby if by bad luck an accident occurs. Simply deactivate the airbag in front of the baby.
Remember too that your baby should stay in a car seat until he or she outgrows it. The safest baby car seat should again bear the height considerations of your baby. Let the baby fit in the chair without being squeezed and folded in any way, lest you severe the tender joints.
Choosing the safest baby car seat mandates that the choice car seat has an integral harness to reduce injury risks in case of a car crash. There must be an attachment at the seat's bottom, placed between the legs, to help keep the baby in position. A seat without the attachment will allow the baby to slide under or even out of the vital harness. You can however remove the harness as soon as the baby learns to use normal car seat belts properly.
Once the baby grows past the baby seat you should move him or her to a booster, still as a back rider. Booster seats are in a way adult car seat designs. They also need fastening and adjustment of the belt just as an adult's seat does. Take care that the belt doesn't go over the baby's neck. The booster car seat is ideal for a baby up and until he or she is 8 years old, standing at roughly 4 feet.
Imperatively therefore, the process of choosing the safest car seat for baby requires that parents read updated online reviews of specific models before ordering for one. Ensure you're your baby seat comes from such a reputed car seat manufacturer as Graco, Maxi Cosi, Britax, Bebe, Recaro or Renolux.
