Child Safety Seats... It’s The Law

by Kim Murphy, R.N., Public Health Nurse
Augusta-Staunton Health Department

In Virginia, safety seats are required for all children under the age of four, and safety belts are required for all front seat passengers age four and up. A Commonwealth of Virginia study suggests that 90 percent of all child safety seats in the state are improperly installed. If used correctly, a child safety seat can reduce the chance of death or serious injury to your child in a traffic crash by as much as 70%. ALWAYS read your safety seat instructions before using the seat.

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of preventable death and injuries. The life-saving potential is so well-documented, that every state, including VA, now requires their use by law. Secure your baby EVERY time he or she rides in the car--it is a Virginia Law. Violating this law can result in a $50 fine and three demerits on your DMV record.

When installing a child safety seat in your vehicle, use the following general rules. 1) if the safety seat will be holding a child under 20 pounds, the seat should face the rear. 2) if the safety seat will hold a child over 20 pounds, the seat should face forward. The middle of the vehicle’s back seat is usually the safest location to place the safety seat. No matter where a vehicle is struck, there is space around the middle back seat.

NEVER put a rear-facing (20 pounds or less child) safety seat in the front passenger side seat if there is a passenger side AIRBAG. The force from the airbag can cause serious injury to your infant or toddler. Airbags inflate at 200 m.p.h.

National studies are still being conducted on the safety of airbags with forward facing safety seats and small children; so, for now, it is best not to put any child in the front seat with an airbag.

Never use safety seats on side-facing or rear-facing vehicle seats. NEVER allow the child to ride in the cargo area of a truck of station wagon. Only use them, secured tightly, on forward facing seats. Newborn babies should ride where an adult can view him or her at all times. If you are driving alone, you can safely place your newborn in a safety seat in the front passenger side, ONLY if there is NOT a passenger-side airbag.

When securing a child in a safety seat, you want to make sure the child is snug in the seat and that the safety seat is installed tightly in the car. In case of an accident or crash, the less movement of the safety seat, the less the chance of injury. Try and avoid using heavy clothing, blankets and thick safety seat covers, as these can create extra air space and cause the seat straps to loosen. Buckle your child in the safety seat, and then cover him or her with a coat or blanket if necessary because of weather or illness.

The safety seat is a piece of equipment and should be cared for as such. Always lock your vehicle, as not to lose your safety seat to theft. During the spring, summer and early fall, cover your safety seat with a towel or blanket to keep the metal buckles from heating up and burning your child.

NEVER use a child safety seat that has been in a traffic crash. It has done its job and should be retired. Replace the seat!

Make adjustments to your safety seat as your child grows. After an adjustment, always recheck the seat directions to make sure you are using it properly.

Every time your child rides in a car, use your safety seat and use it correctly. There is nothing sadder than a preventable injury. If you hold your child while riding in a vehicle, you could crush the child during a crash. In a 30 mph crash, a 100 pound adult becomes a 3,000 pound force against the child. Your safety seat cannot protect your child, if the seat is used improperly. Ensure that grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, baby-sitters and friends know how to properly use a safety seat and demand that they use a safety seat when transporting your child. It is the law, and they are liable for violation of the law.

Older children (usually 60 pounds and over) are ready to use adult safety belts when: 1) the lap belt stays low and snug across the hips without riding up over the stomach and 2) the shoulder strap fits over the shoulder without crossing the face or front of the neck.

Never place the shoulder strap under the arm or behind the back, and never double buckle two children in one safety belt. Passive restraints like safety seats only work when used properly.

For more information, call the Auto Safety Hotline 1-800-424-9393.