Many caregivers and children alike–at one point or another–start to long for the days of being able to go on car rides without needing additional, non-standard safety equipment.–Specifically, car seats or booster seats.
While these critically important safety devices have evolved significantly over the years–many even have features which would practically rival the most comfortable of recliners–as a whole, boosters are still grossly misunderstood.
More children are staying in 5-point harnesses for longer, but many still transition out of them, into seat belt positioning booster seats much too early. Because booster seats are still undervalued, they are also underutilized.–Children are not using booster seats for nearly as long as they need to be in order to be adequately protected in the event of a sudden stop or a crash.
But the Law Says…
While your state law may only require a child to use a booster until age 8 (sometimes even younger!), or you may hear that once they’ve reached the “magic height” of 4’9″ that they no longer need a booster seat. However, children do in fact need boosters for much longer than that. On average, children need to use boosters until somewhere between 10-12 years of age, and until they pass The Five-Step Test
Seat belts are designed to fit adult skeletons. Kids need a boost!
Why is a Booster So Important?
It’s important to remember that seat belts are designed to fit adults, not kids. The purpose of a booster seat is that it “boosts” the child up, so that the seat belt fits them properly, contacting the strongest points of their body, further preventing injury to the more vulnerable areas of their body. For more information, there’s a fantastic video which was released by the Car Safety Now organization which can be found on our Facebook page as well as on their website. I strongly recommend watching it, but I will caution you–the subject matter is, of course very serious. The video portrays a car crash, and subsequent injuries are simulated. As such, there are parts of it which some viewers may find too difficult to watch.
What’s Safest for My Child?
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused. Because there are so many variables to consider, there’s really no one-size-fits-all solution.–An option which might be best for one child may not be the safest option for the next child. Try to keep in mind that transitioning between the various stages of child passenger safety (rear facing to forward facing; forward facing to booster; booster to seat belt) should not be rushed.
You can take a look at some options which I frequently recommend here but for personalized recommendations I invite you to contact me directly. I’m always happy to help!
The correct use of the harness is a critical to its effectiveness.
Installing your child’s seat correctly is just one of the many important parts of properly using that seat. Using the harness correctly plays a vital role in protecting your child in the event of a sudden stop or crash.
Be sure that you check the harness periodically since it will need to be adjusted as your child grows. And remember to always consult your manual for how and when to make those adjustments.
Sometimes there are situations where it’s easy for a car seat to accidentally become unbuckled. This is especially true in tight 3-across configurations when a booster/seat belt passenger sits adjacent to the harnessed seat. One low-risk, inexpensive way to prevent this from happening is to use a silicone cupcake liner (or a paper cup) to cover the buckle release button.
Do you know what the proper position for your child’s harness retainer clip (more commonly referred to as the “chest clip”) should be? The top of it should be centered on the child’s sternum (breastbone). An easy way to check for this is to ensure that the top of it aligned between the child’s armpits and nipples.
Sometimes budgets are tight and dollars need to be stretched. But sometimes caregivers discover that their bargain was actually a bust. 😦 Super Car Seat Geek is committed to helping you keep your child as safe as possible no matter what your budget is. You’re always welcome to message for help.
In 2016 PA joined a growing number of states by passing a law requiring children to remain rear facing until at least age 2. While I was rather disappointed to see that updates weren’t made across the board, I was (and still am) thrilled about this change. It’s important to remember that regardless of where you live, laws rarely require best practice across the board. This often leaves caregivers feeling confused, so I included some suggestions on this infographic.
Wintertime, for many of us, means bitterly cold temperatures and biting winds. Packing on the thickest, warmest layers possible seems like the most logical thing to do, but did you know that bundling up under a car seat harness or seat belt can be dangerous?
Excerpts from various car seat manuals warn consumers about the dangers of using coats in car seats.
When bulky layers are worn under a 5-point harness it leaves that passenger vulnerable to injuries in a crash (including being ejected from the safety seat itself!). The reason for this is that even when the harness is tightened over that thick coat (or bunting, or snowsuit, etc.), the jacket will compress in a sudden stop or crash, leaving enough slack in the harness that the safety seat may be unable to protect the child. While unpleasant to think about, it’s important to remember how extreme crash forces are. They’re violent enough that they can crush and tear through vehicle frames. A fluffy jacket or snowsuit wouldn’t stand a chance. But that does not mean that your family will have to suffer through frigid temperatures. There are many ways to stay warm safely while in the car.
Infants
There are many safe ways to keep your little one warm when heading out in cold weather
Safely Layering Up
For young babies who haven’t yet developed full head control (typically, babies under 6 months of age or so), special care should always be taken to ensure that their head is not at risk for being pushed forward, and that their airway is not blocked or obscured in any way.
A snug-fitting, warm outfit, paired with a thin, warm hat is a safe way to bundle your baby up in their car seat. A warm blanket tucked over their fastened harness adds a safe layer of warmth.
Dress your baby in a few thin, warm, snug-fitting layers and buckle them into their seat. Thin, fleece footie pajamas and the like can also be a good option, but snowsuits and buntings should not be used in a car seat. A lightweight, snug-fitting hat, warm mittens, and/or slippers can also be added. After baby is buckled up, several blankets can be tucked in place over the harness to keep them nice and cozy; I often recommend 1-2 lightweight blankets (flannel or cotton ones work nicely). If you’re able to, pre-warm your car to get the heat going.
If you’re using a rear facing only seat (commonly referred to as an infant carrier) and are buckling baby up before going outside, a few thicker blankets can be placed on top of thinner ones for extra warmth while carrying baby to and from the car.
A “shower cap” style car seat cover goes around the sides of the car seat rather than between the child and the car seat.
A shower cap-style car seat cover is a low-risk option which can be especially useful on days where it’s precipitating or very windy outside. Conversely, the buntings and car seat covers which are designed to go inside of the car seat, behind the child should not be used. If you already have one, it can be altered so that most of their associated risks are mitigated (see below).
Remember! While it’s important to keep infants warm, they can overheat so once you’re in the car, layer accordingly. *Please note: it is critically important to ensure that any blankets/covers, etc do not interfere with a rear facing only (infant carrier) from fully locking into its base!*
Using buntings inside your car seat can introduce dangerous slack & alter the way your seat was designed to work. Cutting out the entire portion that goes between your child and their seat mitigates those risks.
Toddlers & Older
Some of the aforementioned options continue to be valid possibilities with toddlers, but there are additional ones which are worth mentioning (because who doesn’t like to have choices?!)
The Car Seat Poncho, shown here on a rear facing toddler, can unzip from either the top or bottom which allows optimal access to the harness
Ponchos
Chances are, I will always be partial to The Car Seat Poncho brand because these are the original “car seat ponchos” sold by the woman who designed and invented them! Their brilliant (reversible!) design features a zipper which can be unzipped from the top of the poncho by the child’s neck, as well as down by their legs. This makes buckling and unbuckling a breeze, and it means that you’ll never need to flip the poncho over their face/head to gain access to their harness. The back of the poncho simply gets draped over the top/back of the car seat while the front can stay over the child’s body. They’re even made right here in the U.S.A. The Car Seat Poncho has generously offered Super Car Seat Geek readers a coupon for $3 off each poncho with coupon code:SUPERGEEK (offer expires 2/14/18)
The bottom layer of a bag-style “Bundle” product can be placed over a child like a wearable lap blanket
There are, of course, many other brands and styles of ponchos available if you prefer. Similarly, if you already have one of those bag-style “Bundle” products, the bottom layer can be detached from the top layer and placed over the child like a wearable lap blanket! Pro tip: if you do this, I’d strongly recommend cutting off the large elastic band, as well as the Velcro around the “arm” openings.
Fleece Jacket
A thin, single-layer fleece jacket can be an inexpensive and effective way to keep kids safe and warm in the car.
Dressing your child in a thin, single-layer, waist-length, form-fitting fleece jacket is one of my favorite tricks. They are often very inexpensive and surprisingly warm, especially when paired with a cozy hat and mittens! If your child would like to be extra toasty, simply tuck a warm, fuzzy blanket or two over them after they’re buckled up. The blanket(s) can easily be removed if your child starts to get too warm.
Packable Jacket
Another alternative to a thicker jacket is a down-filled, packable jacket. It should follow the same fit guidelines as described above. With any jacket worn in a car seat, I recommend doing the following “test” to check if it’s a safe choice to wear in the seat:
Thin, “packable” style jackets can be another great way to safely stay warm in a car seat.
1) Buckle the child in the car seat without their jacket on & tighten the harness so that it passes the “pinch test”.
2) Remove the child from the seat without loosening the harness.
3) Put their jacket on, and place them back into the car seat.
4) Buckle them back up.
If you’re able to buckle them up again without having to loosen the harness, or only having to loosen it a very small amount, then the jacket is ok to wear in the seat. If the harness had to be loosened more significantly, then it is not a safe option.
A “wearable blanket” is a great way to keep older kids cozy in the car
Wearable Blanket
A “wearable blanket” can be used by your child after they’re secured in their seat. Like a regular blanket or a poncho, it would go over the harness and drape over the sides of the car seat. This is an especially nice option for older children because it’s usually long enough to cover the child from their neck down to their feet. Additionally, the sleeves permit the child use of his/her arms and hands while still having them covered. If the child gets too warm it’s easily removed.
Preschoolers and Older
The ideas listed above are still perfectly fine to utilize as time goes on. However, once kids start going to school, a very warm jacket is often needed for outdoor-time. Sometimes it just makes more sense to have a traditional, thick winter jacket. While those will continue to be unsafe to wear under a safety restraint, the child can wear it out to the car and remove it prior to buckling up. The jacket can then be put on backwards, over their harness.
This thick jacket can be safely worn in the car when it’s backwards, over the harness
Another trick is to unzip a jacket and pull it to the sides of the harness. The jacket can be zipped up over the fastened harness if the child desires, or left unzipped. Note: this is best done with thinner jackets to avoid bulky or compressible fluff behind the child.
This (thin) jacket has been unzipped and pulled to the sides of the harness
Boosters and Beyond
While the “no coats in the car” rule is starting to become more mainstream, few caregivers realize that coats continue to pose safety risks after children transition to a booster seat from their 5-point harness.
Yes, a seat belt can go back and forth to tighten and loosen as needed, and it will lock and tighten in the event of a sudden stop or crash. However, in order for a seat belt to provide optimal protection, it must be contacting the person’s body, not a fluffy jacket. When the latter is the case, the passenger is at increased risk for injuries since the seat belt must fully compress the jacket prior to making contact with the occupant’s body.
Thicker jackets should be avoided in the car, even in boosters. If one is worn, unzip it and pull it away from the seat belt.
Jackets should continue to be thin and lightweight, and should not interfere with the seat belt. The seat belt should make direct contact with the occupant’s lap, and the shoulder belt should lie flat on the occupant’s torso and shoulder. If a thicker jacket is worn in the car, unzipping it and pulling it to the sides of the seat belt will mitigate many of the risks.
Car seats and seat belts need to be tight in order to protect their passenger. Bulky clothing can make them too loose even if they feel tight. Whether you choose to purchase a specialized product, or utilize what you already have on hand, there are a plethora of safe options available to keep the whole family safe and snug all winter long!
Boo! Sure your kids costumes are adorable but bulky padding or frilly dresses can add a surprising amount of dangerous slack into the harness in the event of a crash. Keep your little superhero (or princess) safe this Halloween by removing their costumes prior to hopping in the car! Happy Haunting!
Did you know that the recommendation of “rear facing to age 2” is a minimum recommendation, not a maximum? Rear facing offers enormous safety differences and children over the age of 2 continue to benefit from those safety differences. We strongly encourage you to keep your child rear facing until the upper height or weight limit of their seat is met.
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