How to install a car seat properly

As an OB nurse with the Sioux Center Community Hospital & Health Center Avera, I take great pride in helping educate parents about their new baby. In my years of experience, I have seen many new and even experienced parents struggle to understand how to correctly install their car seats. In fact in this year’s car seat safety check, we found an 84 percent misuse rate. Here are a few tips to keep in mind that will help keep your little miracle safe on the road:

• Make sure your car seat is the right size for your child.

• Do not buy a secondhand car seat because you don’t know if it has been in an accident.

• Infant seats should always face backward.

• Most Car Seats only have a six-year life span unless otherwise printed on the car seat. Some of the seats that can go from forward facing with harness to belt positioning booster to backless boosters have a 9-year life span.

• Your car seat should have a five point harness that fits snugly.

• A properly installed car seat base will not move more than an inch in either direction.

• The carrier handle should always be lowered during drives unless stated differently in the car seat manual. Toys should not dangle from the carrier handle because the toys have not been crash tested.

Marcia Van Voorst, LPN, Certified Car Seat Technician