1 post tagged “seat checks”

With recently reported kids' accidents and with the mere fact that 7 out of 10 children dying on car crashes because they are not properly restrained, DaimlerChrysler together with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) joined forces to celebrate a five-long day celebration of Child Passenger Safety Week starting today.

With its aim to help parents and caregivers regarding proper child restraining, Chrysler’s SeatCheck was created. It is an online help center that provides free services on child safety and inspects child seat for safety and security.

To honor the NHTSA, Diamler prepared a list of safety tips. So read on before you open your car’s door and windows and start driving. Here are the safety tips that ensure proper fit and use of the kid’s safety seats:

• Infants must always be placed in rear-facing seats until they are at least one year old and 20 lbs. If less than a year old and more than 20 lbs., be sure they ride in a seat approved for heavier babies and continue to ride rear-facing until at least one year old. Children may ride rear-facing in many seats up to 35 lbs. Never place a rear-facing infant seat in front of a passenger air bag.
• Once children are forward-facing, they should ride in a forward-facing seat (convertible seat) until they reach approximately 40 lbs. All children who have outgrown child safety seats should be properly restrained in booster seats until they are 4'9" tall.
• Old/used child safety seats should not be used unless you are certain they have never been in a crash and you have all the parts (including instructions). Seats six years old or older should be discarded and never used. To check if your safety seat has been recalled, check the seat recall list on www.seatcheck.org.
• Always read both the vehicle owner's manual and the instructions that come with the child safety seat.
• Vehicles and rear- and forward-facing child safety seats manufactured after September 1, 2002, are equipped with LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) to help ease the installation of child safety seats. For more information on LATCH, visit www.seatcheck.org.
• Children 12 years old & under should always be properly restrained in the backseat.
• It's important to remember that the "best" child safety seat is the one that correctly fits the child, the vehicle, and is used correctly every time.
• Get your child safety seats checked to make sure it is installed properly!

You can check out their site at www.seatcheck.com or call their toll free hotline at (1-866-SEATCHECK) to verify if your child seat is safe. Meanwhile you can also check you trusted sites for Chrysler parts if you want to replace your old ones with these quality new car parts to further you and your passengers' safety.