In search of car seats: 4 phases of car seats
Written by jlz on November 29, 2005 – 9:16 pm -I have been assigned the task of researching car seats, strollers and infant carriers. After going through a bunch of information on the web, I am starting to get a general picture of the various type of products.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, all children go through 4 car-riding phases.
First, the child sits in a rear-facing car seat. Rear-facing car seats are generally used by children from birth to at least 20 pounds and one year of age. However, many researches have shown that rear-facing is the safest position the child can ride in. So you should try to keep your child in a rear-facing car seat as long as you can. This means you need to find an car seat that has a much higher rear-facing limit.
Next, a child who is at least 20 pounds and one year of age can sit in forward-facing car seats. They can stay in the forward-facing car seat until about 40 pounds and approximately four years of age.
The third phase happens when the child is about 40 pounds. At this time, you should use a belt positioning booster seat until the child can sit with his or her back straight against the vehicle seat back cushion, with knees bent over the vehicle’s seat edge, without slouching (approximately 4′9″).
The last phase a child goes through is when the child sits on the car seat with the belt fitting properly. This is usually when the child reaches about 4′ 9″ in height and is between 8 to 12 years of age.
Additional information about the proper use of these car seats can be found on American Academy of Pediatrics’s Car Safety Seats: A Guide for Families 2005.
Stay tuned….
Posted in Car Seats, Equipment |
November 30th, 2005 at 9:14 am
[...] With the 4 phases of car seat information in mind, there appears to be several types of car seats out there: [...]