Selecting a child's car seat can be overwhelming for families. However, A car seat is one of the most important purchases you'll make for your child.
Learn current recommendations and tips from KK West, a UVA Children’s Hospital safety program coordinator.
Keeping Kids Safe in the Car
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about UVA Children’s Hospital
KK West
KK West is a safety program coordinator at UVA Health Systems.Learn more about UVA Children’s Hospital
Transcription:
Keeping Kids Safe in the Car
Melanie Cole (Host): Selecting a child’s car seat can be overwhelming for families. My guest today is K.K. West. She’s a safety program coordinator for UVA Children’s Hospital. Welcome to the show, K.K. What are some of the different types of car seats and what ages and sizes should they be used?
K.K. West (Guest): Okay. There are several different car seats on the market today. We have the rear- facing infant car seat which sort of looks like or is familiarly known as the “bucket car seat” which is used really just for infants. The height and weight limits for the car seat set the tone for the car seat. So, when the child has reached the height and weight limit for that infant car seat, at that point, they would want to either move to a convertible car seat which also can be rear-facing or forward-facing. The infant car seat has a five point harness in it. The convertible car seat is rear-facing and once the child reaches about age two or has outgrown the rear-facing guidelines set by the car seat manufacturer, at that point, that seat would turn around and become forward-facing. Then, forward-facing only car seat would be a car seat that is designed just to be forward-facing. Those car seats can have the five point harness and some for them do convert into a booster seat which has the lap and shoulder belt. Then, there are the booster seats which is the car seat that is designed just for a lap and shoulder belt. Typically, that is for children ages four through eight as long as they meet the height and weight requirements for the seat.
Melanie: So, that’s where parents need to look--at the height and weight--because some children, mine included, are tiny or don’t fit that height and weight requirement. So then, do we keep them in longer?
KK: Yes. The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that all children stay rear-facing for at least age two, and longer if they still fit the height and weight requirements of that rear-facing car seat. The idea behind that is that children’s head and neck muscles are not as developed as adults or an older child, so keeping them rear facing would keep them safer longer. Then, once the child is large enough to be forward-facing and is in that five point harness, then you would continue to monitor your child’s height and weight based on what the seat manufacturer has established for the seat.
Melanie: So, what should families look for and keep in mind when they go out shopping for those car seats? There are so many on the market?
KK: It’s overwhelming what’s on the market. So, there really isn’t a set, “Oh, this is the best car seat.” When you go out shopping for a car seat, you have to keep lots of things in mind. One, which car seat best fits your family’s need? If you have three children, you may need a more narrow car seat to fit the three car seats across the back of your car. If your child is a larger built child, you may need more of a convertible car seat versus the infant car seat. So, the rule of thumb is, you want to look at your child’s specific need, which car seat actually fits in your car and how many car seats you will need. So, if you drive a sports car, for example, a large, huge convertible car seat may not fit as easily as a different convertible car seat. So, it’s really about what works best for your family, your car.
Melanie: And, you really have to look at the size of your car, the size of the seat and the thought of your back--putting a child in there.
KK: Correct, absolutely. All car seats are crash tested to the same guidelines. So, when you’re looking at car seats, it really does matter which car seat best fits the child, best fits the car, and best fits your lifestyle.
Melanie: Now, tell us about the risks of using used or expired car seats. People tend to say, “Oh, I've got one you can use. Don’t bother going out to buy one.”
KK: Well, the car seats spend a great deal of time in a car. Cars get really hot, cars get really cold. So, when they set guidelines for expired seats, they’re doing it because the integrity of that plastic and the seat material, after so many years of being out in the heat, the sun, the cold, can start to break down. If you think about a plastic chair that sits on your deck and after years of sitting out there, eventually the plastic gets old and brittle. The same thing is true for car seats. You want to make sure that your car seat is safe. So, many car seats have a five year lifespan on them. Others have a little bit longer and it should say on any of the car seat, the “best used by” date on the sticker on the side of the car seat.
Melanie: What is the LATCH system?
KK: The LATCH system stands for “lower anchors and tethers for children” and all cars and car seats that came out after 2002 have this new system. What it is, is in the cars, there are little metal rings that are built into the base of the seat, and then there’s a LATCH system that’s hooked in. Sometimes it’s on the back of the seat. It’s a way for families to be able to get a child seat securely in the car without using a seatbelt system. It’s supposedly easier to install than just a secured seatbelt system although those work. The things about LATCH systems is that each vehicle has its own weight limit for the LATCH system and so it’s important that you check with your vehicle manufacturer and make sure that you monitor your child’s weight. Once your child reaches the max weight for that LATCH system, they would then need to use the seatbelt as the means to anchor their car seat.
Melanie: And, when is a child ready to ride in the vehicle using just a seatbelt? Is that based on height, weight, one or of each of them? What if they don’t match up?
KK: All of the above. So, the recommendation now is that eight and above is a general age timeframe but, really, it’s about the size of the child because some eight-year-olds are teeny tiny and some eight-year-olds are big. So, the way that you can assess that is if the child’s bottom fits up against the back of the seat with their back against the back of the seat and their knees are bent easily over the edge of the seat with the feet touching the floor, flat on the floor. The shoulder belt needs to fit across the shoulder and not at the neck and the face and the lap belt needs to fit not across the belly or stomach area but across the thigh area.
Melanie: So, if it’s coming up over by their neck, they are too small to be sitting in that seatbelt.
KK: Absolutely. Yes. So, many of the booster seats now have increased their height and weight for them. So, some of the booster seats actually go up to 100 pounds.
Melanie: So, what if your kid fights you on that?
KK: Then, you work on more of a behavioral and a car seat plan. My son absolutely did not like riding in his booster seat but he wasn’t quite tall enough to come out of the booster seat yet. So, we remind them of the safety and how important it is, and we encourage them that the car didn’t go until everybody had their seatbelts on and he was in his seat. And then, we routinely checked his size to make sure that when he reached that point that he could come out of his car seat.
Melanie: So, wrap it up for us, K.K.. It’s really great information. It’s so important for parents to hear from an expert such as yourself about why this is so vital to follow these instructions. So, wrap it up with your best advice on car seat safety.
KK: Okay. I am going to say that all children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat of the car. I’m going to add that little plug. So, if you are 12 or younger, you really should ride in the back seat of the car. All passengers in a vehicle should be restrained. There was an old rule of thought that once you were in the backseat, you didn’t necessarily have to have your seatbelt on and that’s not true. Set the best example. As a parent or as a guardian, when you get in the car, put your seatbelt on and that’s going to help remind the children that it’s important for them to wear their seatbelts, too. So, modeling that good behavior. The other thing that I would say is car seats should be replaced after a moderate to major crash to ensure that that child is safe. A crashed seat may not be able to provide the safest environment for that child.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. You’re listening to UVA Health Systems Radio. For more information you can go to www.UVAhealth.com. That’s www.uvahealth.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Keeping Kids Safe in the Car
Melanie Cole (Host): Selecting a child’s car seat can be overwhelming for families. My guest today is K.K. West. She’s a safety program coordinator for UVA Children’s Hospital. Welcome to the show, K.K. What are some of the different types of car seats and what ages and sizes should they be used?
K.K. West (Guest): Okay. There are several different car seats on the market today. We have the rear- facing infant car seat which sort of looks like or is familiarly known as the “bucket car seat” which is used really just for infants. The height and weight limits for the car seat set the tone for the car seat. So, when the child has reached the height and weight limit for that infant car seat, at that point, they would want to either move to a convertible car seat which also can be rear-facing or forward-facing. The infant car seat has a five point harness in it. The convertible car seat is rear-facing and once the child reaches about age two or has outgrown the rear-facing guidelines set by the car seat manufacturer, at that point, that seat would turn around and become forward-facing. Then, forward-facing only car seat would be a car seat that is designed just to be forward-facing. Those car seats can have the five point harness and some for them do convert into a booster seat which has the lap and shoulder belt. Then, there are the booster seats which is the car seat that is designed just for a lap and shoulder belt. Typically, that is for children ages four through eight as long as they meet the height and weight requirements for the seat.
Melanie: So, that’s where parents need to look--at the height and weight--because some children, mine included, are tiny or don’t fit that height and weight requirement. So then, do we keep them in longer?
KK: Yes. The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending that all children stay rear-facing for at least age two, and longer if they still fit the height and weight requirements of that rear-facing car seat. The idea behind that is that children’s head and neck muscles are not as developed as adults or an older child, so keeping them rear facing would keep them safer longer. Then, once the child is large enough to be forward-facing and is in that five point harness, then you would continue to monitor your child’s height and weight based on what the seat manufacturer has established for the seat.
Melanie: So, what should families look for and keep in mind when they go out shopping for those car seats? There are so many on the market?
KK: It’s overwhelming what’s on the market. So, there really isn’t a set, “Oh, this is the best car seat.” When you go out shopping for a car seat, you have to keep lots of things in mind. One, which car seat best fits your family’s need? If you have three children, you may need a more narrow car seat to fit the three car seats across the back of your car. If your child is a larger built child, you may need more of a convertible car seat versus the infant car seat. So, the rule of thumb is, you want to look at your child’s specific need, which car seat actually fits in your car and how many car seats you will need. So, if you drive a sports car, for example, a large, huge convertible car seat may not fit as easily as a different convertible car seat. So, it’s really about what works best for your family, your car.
Melanie: And, you really have to look at the size of your car, the size of the seat and the thought of your back--putting a child in there.
KK: Correct, absolutely. All car seats are crash tested to the same guidelines. So, when you’re looking at car seats, it really does matter which car seat best fits the child, best fits the car, and best fits your lifestyle.
Melanie: Now, tell us about the risks of using used or expired car seats. People tend to say, “Oh, I've got one you can use. Don’t bother going out to buy one.”
KK: Well, the car seats spend a great deal of time in a car. Cars get really hot, cars get really cold. So, when they set guidelines for expired seats, they’re doing it because the integrity of that plastic and the seat material, after so many years of being out in the heat, the sun, the cold, can start to break down. If you think about a plastic chair that sits on your deck and after years of sitting out there, eventually the plastic gets old and brittle. The same thing is true for car seats. You want to make sure that your car seat is safe. So, many car seats have a five year lifespan on them. Others have a little bit longer and it should say on any of the car seat, the “best used by” date on the sticker on the side of the car seat.
Melanie: What is the LATCH system?
KK: The LATCH system stands for “lower anchors and tethers for children” and all cars and car seats that came out after 2002 have this new system. What it is, is in the cars, there are little metal rings that are built into the base of the seat, and then there’s a LATCH system that’s hooked in. Sometimes it’s on the back of the seat. It’s a way for families to be able to get a child seat securely in the car without using a seatbelt system. It’s supposedly easier to install than just a secured seatbelt system although those work. The things about LATCH systems is that each vehicle has its own weight limit for the LATCH system and so it’s important that you check with your vehicle manufacturer and make sure that you monitor your child’s weight. Once your child reaches the max weight for that LATCH system, they would then need to use the seatbelt as the means to anchor their car seat.
Melanie: And, when is a child ready to ride in the vehicle using just a seatbelt? Is that based on height, weight, one or of each of them? What if they don’t match up?
KK: All of the above. So, the recommendation now is that eight and above is a general age timeframe but, really, it’s about the size of the child because some eight-year-olds are teeny tiny and some eight-year-olds are big. So, the way that you can assess that is if the child’s bottom fits up against the back of the seat with their back against the back of the seat and their knees are bent easily over the edge of the seat with the feet touching the floor, flat on the floor. The shoulder belt needs to fit across the shoulder and not at the neck and the face and the lap belt needs to fit not across the belly or stomach area but across the thigh area.
Melanie: So, if it’s coming up over by their neck, they are too small to be sitting in that seatbelt.
KK: Absolutely. Yes. So, many of the booster seats now have increased their height and weight for them. So, some of the booster seats actually go up to 100 pounds.
Melanie: So, what if your kid fights you on that?
KK: Then, you work on more of a behavioral and a car seat plan. My son absolutely did not like riding in his booster seat but he wasn’t quite tall enough to come out of the booster seat yet. So, we remind them of the safety and how important it is, and we encourage them that the car didn’t go until everybody had their seatbelts on and he was in his seat. And then, we routinely checked his size to make sure that when he reached that point that he could come out of his car seat.
Melanie: So, wrap it up for us, K.K.. It’s really great information. It’s so important for parents to hear from an expert such as yourself about why this is so vital to follow these instructions. So, wrap it up with your best advice on car seat safety.
KK: Okay. I am going to say that all children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat of the car. I’m going to add that little plug. So, if you are 12 or younger, you really should ride in the back seat of the car. All passengers in a vehicle should be restrained. There was an old rule of thought that once you were in the backseat, you didn’t necessarily have to have your seatbelt on and that’s not true. Set the best example. As a parent or as a guardian, when you get in the car, put your seatbelt on and that’s going to help remind the children that it’s important for them to wear their seatbelts, too. So, modeling that good behavior. The other thing that I would say is car seats should be replaced after a moderate to major crash to ensure that that child is safe. A crashed seat may not be able to provide the safest environment for that child.
Melanie: Thank you so much for being with us today. You’re listening to UVA Health Systems Radio. For more information you can go to www.UVAhealth.com. That’s www.uvahealth.com. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.