As Seen on Eyewitness News At Five: Car Seat Confusion
By: LIZ CRENSHAW NBC NEWS
Updated: November 14, 2012
As Seen on Eyewitness News At Five.
Car seat confusion - parents and care givers trying to figure out the right way to install a car safety seat.
The government says about 73-percent of parents install them incorrectly. That's the bad news.
The good news... Recent crash tests by the insurance institute for highway safety show car seats have reached a milestone. It recently gave top safety ratings to more safety seat models than ever before. But they only protect your child if you put them in properly.
Car seat safety check stations like this one are held around the country. And the checks are free.
Nationally certified car seat technicians teach parents the proper way to install the seats.
"A lot of times there are just so many little details to look at that it gives just some great piece of mind they come here and know that it's done properly." said Safety Expert Emilie Crown
"The number one cause of fatalities for children between the ages of one and 13 is traffic crashes. Its a huge issue for us." added David Strickland NHTSA
David Strickland is the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Not being properly belted in can be the difference between a child having no injuries and a child frankly having very severe injuries." said Strickland.
But getting children properly belted is confusing. The safest seat depends on the weight and height of your child.
Then there's rear-facing.... forward-facing ... Booster seats and how all these seats hook into different models of cars is staggering. And regulations and safety standards have changed over the years.
For more information:
Figure out if your child is in the right car seat by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website: http://www.nhtsa.gov
You can also find more on car seats, boosters and seat belt safety from Safe Kids USA: http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-resources-by-risk-area/car-seats-boosters-seat-belts
Get crash test information on car seats from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: http://www.iihs.org
To find the child car seat inspection station nearest you:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm
Car seat confusion - parents and care givers trying to figure out the right way to install a car safety seat.
The government says about 73-percent of parents install them incorrectly. That's the bad news.
The good news... Recent crash tests by the insurance institute for highway safety show car seats have reached a milestone. It recently gave top safety ratings to more safety seat models than ever before. But they only protect your child if you put them in properly.
Car seat safety check stations like this one are held around the country. And the checks are free.
Nationally certified car seat technicians teach parents the proper way to install the seats.
"A lot of times there are just so many little details to look at that it gives just some great piece of mind they come here and know that it's done properly." said Safety Expert Emilie Crown
"The number one cause of fatalities for children between the ages of one and 13 is traffic crashes. Its a huge issue for us." added David Strickland NHTSA
David Strickland is the administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"Not being properly belted in can be the difference between a child having no injuries and a child frankly having very severe injuries." said Strickland.
But getting children properly belted is confusing. The safest seat depends on the weight and height of your child.
Then there's rear-facing.... forward-facing ... Booster seats and how all these seats hook into different models of cars is staggering. And regulations and safety standards have changed over the years.
For more information:
Figure out if your child is in the right car seat by visiting the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website: http://www.nhtsa.gov
You can also find more on car seats, boosters and seat belt safety from Safe Kids USA: http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-resources-by-risk-area/car-seats-boosters-seat-belts
Get crash test information on car seats from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety: http://www.iihs.org
To find the child car seat inspection station nearest you:
http://www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm
