Carseat safety: proper and Improper use of a car seat

 Most of you probably know this already, but I am a bit of a carseat junkie. I educated myself and became passionate about it when Mackynzie was only a couple months old; when someone let me know that we were not using her carseat correctly. I am forever grateful to the person that pointed it out to me, and now I do my best to pass what I know onto others. I snapped some photos of proper and improper harness placements while I was adjusting Mackynzie's straps for winter wear. 

Improper strap placement:

The photo above is a good example of one of the most common errors in child harnesses. The chest clip should be at armpit level. Having it lower disregards the point of it completely, and will not do it's job in a collision. 

Another common mistake, is having the straps twisted. Straps should lay flat and have absolutely no bunching or twists.

Along with the chest clip, I would say this is the most common and *extremely* dangerous mistake. Having the straps too loose. As you can see in the photo above, i can fit my entire hand (sideways) under the straps. Having straps this loose is a deadly mistake. This will NOT hold a child securely (if at all) in a collision. (even a small one.) 

Proper strap placement:

In the photo above, The chest clip is at armpit level, and safely securing the child. straps are also snug and flat.

This photo shows how snug the straps should be. I can NOT fully fit my two fingers under the harness while they are sideways. You want to test this above the chest clip at the shoulder and breast bone area. you could also test the tightness using the pinch test- not being able to pinch any strap between your fingers at the shoulder/breast bone area. ( I personally prefer the fingers under test, but both are valid.)

The above photo shows something even many safe carseat users don't realize  The straps should be coming out of the carseat at or below the child's shoulder for rear-facing, and at or above for forward facing. Also, the bottom buckle should come from under the child's bottom, or directly in line with the crotch. not ahead of the crotch area.

More important tips:

*Your child should remain rear facing until they have reached the maximum height or weight limit for their carseat. (whichever comes first.) see HERE for more details as to why. (not every child likes to cooperate while rear-facing. whether you and your child can tolerate and get used to it, or you turn them around early, is something you as a parent will have to decide. Be sure to be informed and know all your pros and cons. (and Myths!) about rear and forward facing)

*The seat belt and LATCH system should never be used at the same time. Use one or the other when installing your seat.

*When your seat is installed, you should not be able to move it more than one inch back and forth or side to side.

*You should not have any snow suits, winter coats, or bulky clothing on your child while they are in their car seat. Doing so does not allow the restraints to hold your child properly. The bulky clothing compresses in collision and your child can be thrown out of their seat. (see here for an at home demonstration.) Instead, you can place the child's coat on backwards after strapped into seat, or use a this polar fleece sweatshirt and a blanket while driving.

*Do not use an expired, broken, or worn seat.

*If a seat is dropped from as little as waist high, it becomes unsafe for use and must not be used for your child. (It can fracture parts of the seat, even hairline ones, and shatter, break, or come apart in a collision.)

*Because of the two reasons above, you should never buy a second hand carseat (unless you can know for absolute certain the seat is in it's best condition.), Or put your car seat with regular luggage when traveling by plane, bus, boat, or train.

*Another important tip is to keep all projectiles secured in your vehicle! Things as simple as a small toy or sippy cup (or your phone) could cause devastating harm to everyone in your vehicle in even a small collision.

I think I have covered all the bases. If I have missed any, please let me know in the comments below!
It can be a hard pill to swallow when someone says you are not doing something right, but if we just remember that we are all trying to look out for each other, and to be as gentle as possible when sharing information, their shouldn't be too many hurt feelings. It can be hard since everyone does things differently, but we have to remember car seat safety is not a parenting choice; there is only one right way to do it, so spread the word and let keep all our babies safe and happy!