Let’s get Real about Car Seat Safety

Here’s some helpful guidelines and car seat safety tips from the Joie team:

Q: Do I really need a car seat for my child?

A: The simple answer is YES! Car seats reduce the risk of a child’s injury in a crash by 71–82%! (As opposed to simply buckling with a seat belt.) Car seats are crucial in protecting children during a crash, keeping them safe from impact. They also keep your little one still and secure while you drive, which reduces the risk of distraction as well as injury.

Q: How does a car seat keep my child safe?

A: Car seats prevent injury in several different ways:

• They restrain your child’s body, helping them come safely to a stop during a collision or when you’re braking suddenly.
• They absorb crash forces so that your child’s body won’t take the brunt of them instead.
• They spread the force of impact across a larger part of your child’s body, so that the energy isn’t concentrated in one place. (Imagine someone steps on your foot… Would you rather they were wearing a sneaker or a stiletto? It’s the same idea during a collision – impact is less damaging when it’s spread out.)
• They prevent children from being thrown out of the vehicle during a collision.
• They prevent your child’s head from colliding with hard surfaces within the vehicle (like the dashboard or the seat in front of them.)
• They include side impact protection that guards your child’s body from side to side, so they’re safe from all directions.
• They reduce stress on your child’s still-developing head, neck and spine.
• Booster seats lift older children up off of the vehicle seat so that the seat belt can be properly positioned across their shoulder, chest and lap.

Q: What are the different types of car seats? What car seats are for what ages?

A: In order for a car seat to protect your child properly, it must provide an age-appropriate fit. There are several different types of car seats that are designed for children of different ages and sizes:

Infant carriers: Infant carriers are designed for babies from birth up to 75-85 cm or 13 kg (usually when they’re about 12-15 months old.) They face rearward in the car, which is the position that will best protect your baby’s head, neck and spine. Infant carriers are lightweight and easy to transport, and even connect with a stroller so you can switch between driving and walking without removing your child from their car seat! (Which is perfect when they’re sleeping!)

Toddler and child seats: Toddler and child seats usually fit children from birth until they’re anywhere from 4-12 years old. They can often face either rearward or forward and they adjust to grow along with your child, keeping them safe for years! Not only do toddler and child seats provide peace of mind for parents who want their children to ride safely, but they also offer great value because they fit for so long.

Booster seats: Booster seats are meant for older children from 15-36 kg, 100-150 cm or approximately 4-12 years old, and they lift your passenger up so that the vehicle seat belt can be properly positioned across their shoulder, chest and lap. This is important in order to distribute the force of impact properly across your child’s body. Booster seat use reduces the risk of serious injury by 45% for children ages 4–8, when compared with seat belt use alone!

Q: Is it better for my child to be rear facing or forward facing in their car seat?

A: A child should ride in a car seat that faces the rear of the vehicle for as long as possible, because riding rearward is actually up to 5 times safer than facing forward! How does rear facing help protect a child better?

Think about it this way – when facing the front, your child’s body is propelled forward and AWAY from the seat upon impact so their disproportionately heavy head flies frontward, causing strain on the neck. However, when a child rides rearward, the car seat actually cocoons their body during impact, absorbing shock and reducing risk of injury to underdeveloped necks and heads by 70%.

Infant carriers and many toddler seats are installed facing rearward, and it’s important that your child ride this way for as long as their seat allows. Once your little one has grown enough, they’ll be ready to ride facing the front of the vehicle, either in their child car seat or in a booster seat.

Q: How do I use a car seat correctly?

A: First of all, be sure to read the instructions manual that comes with your new car seat. This will tell you everything you need to know about installing and using it correctly. A car seat that’s not installed or buckled properly won’t be as effective in protecting your child!

Installation method depends on the car seat you choose: Infant carriers and some toddler seats snap onto a base that fastens to your back seat, while other toddler seats and booster seats can be secured directly to the vehicle back seat. Some car seats can be installed using your vehicle seat belt, while others latch onto anchor points on the vehicle back seat. (called ISOFIX)

Regardless of the installation method, make sure that you’ve read your instruction manual and that the car seat is restrained tightly against your vehicle’s back seat.

Buckling your child in correctly is equally important! They should be fully harnessed in their age-appropriate car seat, with no slack in the car seat straps or vehicle belt. Don’t let them ride partially buckled or unrestrained –you want that harness or seat belt to do its job correctly! It’s always worth the few extra seconds it takes to buckle your child in properly.