Car Seats Save Lives… But Only When Installed Correctly
Last updated Saturday, August 20th, 2022
Car Seats
When they are installed correctly… car seats save lives every day!
Back in 1983, we started becoming more conscientious as a nation about our children’s safety in our cars. Even before seat belts were a law across the entire nation, we clued into how important this was and that car seats save lives. Here in the State of Illinois, we adopted the Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act. 1983
Vehicle crashes were a leading cause of death in children under 14.
“The General Assembly finds that a substantial number of passengers under the age of 8 years riding in motor vehicles, which are most frequently operated by a parent, annually die or sustain a serious physical injury as a direct result of not being placed in an appropriate child passenger restraint system. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children of every age from 4 to 14 years old.”
A Science Direct paper written by Steven M. Rock, tells us that within the first 3 years of passing the Illinois Child Passenger Protection Act the total number of children under 5 killed or injured in traffic crashes was reduced by 10% along with a 17% decline in the number of child injuries per crash.
That is a massive improvement. Car seats save lives!
We take it for granted today that no parent would put a child in a vehicle without a car seat. However, what we see too frequently is that parents pick a safe car seat but then it’s not safely installed or up to the manufacturer’s requirements.
According to the Journal of Pediatrics, a total of 291 families (81% of those eligible) participated in a study to check car seat installation safety prior to their leaving the hospital with their newborn bundles.
- Child Safety Seats were misused 95% of the time!
- With 1 or more errors in positioning (86%) and/or installation (77%).
- Serious Child Safety Seat misuse occurred for 91% of all infants.
Frequent misuses included harness and chest clip errors, incorrect recline angle, and seat belt/lower anchor use errors. We’ve outlined the most common installation and harnessing mistakes in the following infographic.
Sometimes you don’t know what it is you don’t know, and that is why Nation Wide resources are being made available to ensure your car seat is installed properly for free!
Some Information to help you avoid the most common car seat installation mistakes:
Hopefully, you have left enough time to practice your car seat installation skills before the big day. The process is often more challenging than you think, and while not impossible, it will take some reading and double-checking of your car seat and car to ensure that you have done everything correctly.
Dr. Juliet Spurrier, a board-certified pediatrician, and the founder of BabyGearLab has a mission to deliver the world’s most in-depth and scientific reviews of baby products ever created.
To help you miss some of the most critical and common errors there is a guide to support your installation of car seats provided by Baby Gear LAB. This venture for the last decade has been crash-testing products including car seats to verify their effectiveness and ensure your baby’s safety. Dr. Spurrier, a pediatrician, personally oversees all baby product review activity, and testing processes, and assures that each review delivers on its commitment to quality.
Once you have gone through this don’t forget to use the free national services to inspect and register your car seat! Click here to book your appointment!
92% of Illinois Car Seats are NOT installed properly.
Once you have chosen a seat you want, make VERY sure that you have a solid installation and inspection. Surprisingly, it’s harder to get right than you think and most parents mess it up.
Did you know that according to the Illinois state police up to 92% of people install their car seats incorrectly!
Supporting the community with information that keeps us all safe!
The experienced team at Shuman Legal® is here for our community. Sharing information so you won’t need us, and helping you navigate the complex legal system when you do need us. As experienced attorneys, we help you evaluate facts, assess options, and navigate legal challenges.
Marc J. Shuman and the team at Shuman Legal® have decades of experience advocating for victims and their families. We advocate on your behalf so that you can focus on what is really important, your family, and their wellbeing!
For advice on how to pick a safe car seat so our article, A Parent’s Guide to Picking a Safe Car Seat.
