Types of Restraints for Children

REAR-FACING CAR SEAT is the best seat for your young child to use. It has a harness and in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord.

FORWARD-FACING CAR SEAT has a harness and tether that limits your child’s forward movement during a crash.

A BOOSTER SEAT positions the seat belt so that it fits properly over the stronger parts of your child’s body.

A SEAT BELT should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain the child safely in a crash. It should not rest on the stomach area or across the neck.

Car Seat and Booster Basics

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Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and CPS Team Colorado

© 2008-2013 HCA-HealthONE LLC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

How do You Get Help?

Certified car seat technicians are available to help you inspect your car seat to make sure it’s properly installed.

Go to www.carseatscolorado.com and click on find a fit station near you. Appointments usually take about 20-30

minutes and are free. Please bring your car seat and vehicle instruction manuals to your appointment for reference.

Why Use a Car Seat At All?Vehicles are not designed with kid sized seats and seatbelts. This leaves children vulnerable to injury when riding in a car, particularly in the event of a crash, even a minor one. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 3 and 14 in the U.S.

It’s also the law. In Colorado, a child must be restrained properly in a vehicle until they are 16 years of age. The car seat, booster seat, or seat belt must fit correctly or your child could be at risk for injury.

HealthONE Trauma Centers are acclaimed referral centers serving trauma and neurotrama patients throughout the

Rocky Mountain region. HealthONE Trauma Centers provide experienced physicians you can trust, facilities that provides

leading-edge technology and staff that cares for patients and families.

In addition, HealthONE provides educational outreach programs and information on a variety of trauma-related topics, including car seat safety, wheeled and pedestrian sports, adult fall prevention and seasonal activities.

Birth to 12 months

1 – 3 years of age

4-7 years of age

8-12 years of age

• All children under age 1 must always ride in a rear-facing car seat.

• Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible until your child reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.

• Keep your child in a forward-facing “5-point” harness car seat until child is at least 40 pounds or reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.

• Once your child outgrows the forward-facing car seat, your child can use a belt-positioning booster seat.

• Keep your child in a booster seat until child is able to fit in a seat belt properly.

• Restrain your infant in a rear-facing car seat as long as possible or until the top height or weight limit allowed by car seat manufacture is met.

• Once your child outgrows a rear-facing seat, your child can use a forward-facing seat with a harness. Make sure you use the tether strap included with the seat.

• Safest: Keep your child rear-facing until at least 2 years.

• A booster seat must be used with a vehicle shoulder and lap belt.

• Regardless of age, restrain your child in a car seat or booster seat until they are about 57” (4’9”). A child’s height is the best predictor of proper seat belt fit.

Your child can use a seat belt when:• Your child can sit all the way back against the auto seat.• Your child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat.• The shoulder belt crosses between shoulder and chest (not the neck).• The lap belt fits snug against the hip bones, top of thighs.• Your child can stay seated like this for the whole trip.

Children under 13 should sit in the back seat only.

How do you install your car seat?

You can install your car seat either by using your vehicle’s seat belt OR using LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children). Before you install your car seat, read both your car seat and vehicle instruction manuals to find out which rear seating position is best for proper installation.

Rear-Facing Car Seats• Placethecarseatintherear-facingpositionintheback seat of your vehicle.• SecurecarseatusingseatbeltorLATCH.• Thebaseshouldnotmoveside-to-sideorfront-to-back more than 1 inch.• Makesureyourcarseatisinstalledatthecorrect recline level.• Harnessstrapsshouldlieflat,nottwisted,andbeplaced through the slots located at or below your child’s shoulders.• Theharnessissnugenoughwhenyoucannotpinchany extra material at the shoulder.• Placethechestclipatarmpitlevel.

Forward-Facing Car Seats•Placethecarseatinthebackseatofyourvehicleinthe forward-facing position.•SecurecarseatusingseatbeltorLATCHbypressingdown firmly on the car seat and while tightening.•Thecarseatshouldnotmoveside-to-sideorfront-to-back more than 1 inch.•Connectthetetherstrapfoundonthecarseattoyour vehicle’s anchor and tighten. •Harnessstrapsshouldlieflat,nottwisted,andbeplaced through the slots located at or above your child’s shoulders.•Theharnessissnugenoughwhenyoucannotpinchany extra material at the shoulder.•Placethechestclipatarmpitlevel.

Booster Seats•Placetheboosterinthebackseatofyourvehicle.•Haveyourchildsitintheseatandthenfastentheseatbelt.•Theshoulderbeltshouldrestacrossthechildandthelap belt should be across the upper thighs.•Ifthevehiclehasnoheadrest,youmustuseahighback booster seat.•Youmustuseavehicleshoulderandlaptosecureachildin a booster seat.

Which Type of Car Seat Should You Use?

• Select a car seat based on your child’s age and size,

choose a seat that fits in your vehicle, and use it every time.

• Always refer to your specific car seat manufacturer’s

instructions; read the vehicle owner’s manual on how to

install the car seat using the seat belt or LATCH system;

and check height and weight limits.

• To maximize safety, keep your child in the car seat for

as long as possible, as long as the child fits within the

manufacturer’s height and weight requirements.

• Keep your child in the back seat until they are at least

13 years old.

Mandatory Restraint Age Requirements Safety Recommendations

Be a role model. Buckle up, it’s the law! Never allow your children to play in or around cars.

Always secure loose items! Loose items in a vehicle can turn into missiles that can injure you and others.

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Copyright 2012 by Consumer Reports. Used with Permission. No Commercial use permitted.

REAR-FACINGCAR SEAT

BOOSTER SEAT OR LAP AND SHOULDERSEAT BELT

REAR-FACING OR FORWARD-FACING CAR SEAT

FORWARD-FACINGCAR SEAT ORBOOSTER SEAT