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CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY FOR GRANDPARENTS
By: Cathy Droz

I don’t know about your family, but my son and daughter-in-law give me their SUV to drive when I’m babysitting, and I give them my car. The car seats are already properly installed, so I just place my four and one-year-old grandchildren in the appropriate car seats and off we go.

Times have changed; manufacturers’ vehicles are all about anchor, tether and LATCH safety. The choices for car seats alone keep Ralph Nader up all night.  According to the experts at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the following are basic recommendations for your grandchild’s safety:

•An infant should be in a rear-facing car seat until the baby reaches
age one and weighs 20 pounds. Never place a child’s seat in the passenger seat.
•Toddlers need forward-facing car seats until the harnesses no longer fit properly.
•Young children should use booster seats with lap and shoulder safety belts until they are tall enough to use just safety belts.
•Older children should always wear seatbelts.

Using a car seat for your grandchild in not only required by law, it is also crucial in protecting your grandchild in the event of a car accident.  Choosing the right car seat and having it installed properly makes all the difference. Check with your local Fire and Police departments to schedule an appointment with a certified car seat technician. Learn car seat safety from a certified professional, not a sales clerk at  Babies-R-Us.

Motor Vehicle crashes kill more children ages l4 and under than any other age group, claiming nearly l, 800 lives and more than 274,000 injuries each year.  The majority of those crashes occur within 25 miles of their homes, and many of the drivers are grandparents.

Keep our grandchildren safe; they are our most precious cargo.