It is important to know the proper use of a safety seat. Ask yourself the following questions to be sure your safety seat is being used correctly.

Does your safety seat meet federal regulations for car safety?
All car seats sold in stores should meet federal regulations. Be sure to read the instruction manual to make sure that your seat meets the federal regulations. Never purchase a safety seat that has been used or a used safety seat that has been involved in a crash. Safety seats should be destroyed after they are in a crash because non-visible structural damage might have occurred.

Did you read your vehicle owners manual and the safety seat instructions?
Before you place your child in a vehicle, read the vehicle owner’s manual to learn about proper installation of a safety seat for the specific vehicle. Sometimes, you will need locking clips or other equipment to secure the safety seat properly in the vehicle.

Does your child ride in the back seat of your vehicle?
All children under the age of 12 should ride in the back seat of your vehicle. The back seat is the safest place for your child to be if you are involved in a car crash. The air bag in the front can injure or kill your child when it deploys during a crash.

Does your child face the correct way in a safety seat?
Infants should be placed in a rear-facing safety seat until they are age 1 and weigh more than 20 pounds. A 10 month-old who weights more than 20 pounds and has good control of his/her head and neck is safe to ride in a forward-facing safety seat in the back seat of a vehicle.

Never place a rear-facing safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle, especially if the vehicle has air bags.

Is your child buckled in tight enough?
Be sure that the car seat belt is properly placed in the correct slots on the car seat. The harness around your child should be snug over the child’s shoulders and the chest clip should be at armpit level.

Does the safety belt fit your older child properly?
When your child can sit in the seat of the vehicle with knees bent at the edge of the seat and feet on the floor, without slouching, then the safety belt will properly fit your child. The lap belt must fit low and tight across your child’s upper thighs. The shoulder belt should rest over the shoulder and across the chest. The vehicle seat belt alone will not properly fit children until they are at least 4 feet nine inches tall and weigh approximately 80 pounds.