Keeping Safe Kids in Car Seats - A Checklist
Step 1: Babies ride rear-facing until they:
- Are AT LEAST one year of age.
- Weigh AT LEAST 20 lbs.
Step 2: Toddlers and preschoolers can ride forward-facing to 40 lbs.
Step 3: For young, tall children that weigh less than 40 lbs., choose a car seat with higher harness slots that can become belt-positioning booster.
Step 4: Booster seats properly position a child, keeping the lap belt off the tummy and positioning the shoulder belt so it fits snugly across the middle of the chest.
Step 5: Kinds younger than 13 should sit in the back seat. The lap belt should fit low and snug on the thighs, not up on the tummy. The shoulder belt should fit snugly across the shoulder.
Step 6: An adult seatbelt does not fit most children until they:
- Are about 4 feet 9 inches tall.
- Weigh about 80 lbs.
- Are 8 years old.
Reprinted with the permission of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
Reprinted with the permission of the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. © 2008 Children's Hospital and Health System.
Take Action
- this article with friends and family.
- Have a question about Early Years (Birth-5)? Ask it here.
- Publish your work on education.com.
