Auto Safety (continued)

Instead, a tether strap secures the top of the safety seat to an anchorage point either on the rear shelf area, the rear floor, or the back of the rear seat of the car, depending on the vehicle model. Lower anchors secure attachments on the bottom of the safety seat to a point located between the car's seat cushion and seat back.

You should use LATCH only in seating positions recommended by both the vehicle manufacturer and the car seat manufacturer. Never use both the seat belt and LATCH to install a car seat. Choose whichever method secures the car seat best.

Most forward-facing safety seats made after September 1999 are equipped with top tether straps, and most vehicles made after September 2000 have tether anchors. Since September 2002, most new vehicles also have lower safety seat anchorage points and most safety seats have lower anchor attachments.

If your vehicle or safety seat was purchased after these dates and didn't come with tethers or anchors, call the manufacturer.

Rules for the Car and School Bus

Most kids spend time in a car or on a school bus every day, and should be taught simple rules for traveling in them to help ensure their safety.

Be sure to explain to your kids that these rules must be followed every time, no matter who is driving or how short the ride may be.

Rules for the Car

A seat belt must be worn during every car trip. It should be fastened before the car is even in motion and should be left on until the end of the trip.

• Use all seat belts. Most cars have lap and shoulder belts that buckle as a unit, but some have two separate belts, one lap and one shoulder. Some have a lap belt only. Teach your child to look for and secure every belt.
• Never share seat belts. It may seem like fun, but two kids should never buckle up as a pair.
• Sit in the back seat. Kids 12 years old and younger should always ride in the back seat. This protects them from possible injury when a passenger-side air bag deploys. Explain that air bags could seriously hurt a small child because they are designed to protect a person with a much bigger body.
• Play it cool. Kids should understand the importance of staying calm and low-key in the back seat. If they are jumping around or yelling, it can distract the driver and put all the passengers at risk.
• Follow the rules in every car. Kids need to follow the rules if they are in a friend's or relative's car, even if other passengers don't follow the rules. If asked to sit in the front seat of someone else's car, your child should politely decline the offer and tell the driver that he or she would prefer to sit in the back seat.

Rules for the Bus

• Wait for the bus away from the street. Kids should get in a line that starts about 6 feet (2 meters) from the curb and goes away from the street rather than down the side.
• Wait for the OK. Kids must wait until the bus driver opens the door and says that it's OK to step on. They should not step into the road even a moment sooner.
• Be careful getting on the bus. This is important for older kids who may carry book bags and backpacks that can get caught in a door or around a seat.
• Wear seat belts if possible. Some school buses are outfitted with seat belts. They should be buckled before the bus leaves and left on until the bus arrives at its destination.
• Play it cool. Make sure kids understand the importance of staying in their seats while the bus is moving. Running or climbing around the bus can distract the driver and be dangerous to other kids.
• Be careful getting off the bus. When exiting the bus, kids should hold onto the handrail and step down slowly. Once off the bus, they must walk in front of it, never behind it.
• Stay in front. When they walk in front of the bus, kids should walk on the sidewalk next to the bus for at least 10 feet (about 3 meters), make sure the bus driver acknowledges them, and then cross the street.
• Don't disappear. A child who drops something while crossing in front of a bus should never bend over to pick it up. This makes the child invisible to the driver. Instead, teach kids to tell the bus driver if they drop something.

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Date reviewed: July 2008
Originally reviewed by: Janet Brooks