PARMA — There’s no shortage of child safety seats available when you visit retail stores. But research suggests parents aren’t sure how to properly restrain their children in safety seats.
“Three out of four seats are installed incorrectly or are misused,” said Jennifer Pelky with Buckle up for Life.
The most common mistakes involve the shoulder restraint system, the latch system, and moving your child up to the next level before they’re ready.
The good news, there’s plenty of places to find help if you’re not sure how to install your child’s safety seat.
Many fire departments have child seat technicians on hand who are able to teach you how to properly install a safety seat in your vehicle. The Parma Fire Department has technicians available every third Saturday.
To find a location in your neighborhood, you can visit seatcheck.org. Many are participating in National Seat Check Saturday.
Experts also recommend you follow recommendations in the manuals for your vehicle and your child’s safety seat to make sure you are installing it properly.
“Children between age 1 and 2 are 75 percent less likely to be critically injured or killed if they’re riding rear-facing than if they’re riding forward-facing,” Pelky adds.
Also, when your child outgrows the child safety seat, they should continue to use a booster seat until they’re 4’9″ to prevent injuries from seat belts.