Bonnie F. Lapointe

Using baby car seats for babies: it's the law

Thirty years ago, there we simply almost no talk about safety issues in a car. Fortunately, in the society of today, our awareness of the risks of car traveling and the ways to protect our babies have changed so much. There are now laws and regulations about everything regarding safety issues. This makes many parents very nervous to have to choose among the vast number of car seats models available on the market.

Why are baby car seats so important

Thirty years ago, there we simply almost no talk about safety issues in a car. Mom and dad would ask their child to hold on to the front seat, or mom would hold baby on their lap when the car was in motion. Seat belts? Maybe for the driver. Studies on road safety were not exactly a common thing either.

Fortunately, in the society of today, our awareness of the risks of car traveling and the ways to protect our babies have changed so much. There are now laws and regulations about everything regarding safety issues. This makes many parents very nervous to have to choose among the vast number of car seats models available on the market.

Buckle up you children, it's the law

Many countries take it seriously: Use an adapted car seats for babies or you will receive a large fine. And it is not the age that counts anymore, but the size of the kid in a sitting position, (from the bottom to the top of the head). So an eight years old child of small stature can be sitting in the same car seat as a much younger child.

Baby car seats

For newborn babies (by definition weigh below 9 kilograms/20 pounds or measure less than 66 cm/26 inches), parents have to use a proper baby car seat. The baby car seat has to be installed  in the back seat, in the opposite direction to the traffic. This type of arrangement is intended to give a better protection to the neck and the chest of the child in the event of a collision or sudden braking. Until the child can stand by his own, so until about 12 months, it is highly recommended to install the baby car seat this way .

If there is no airbag on the passenger side, parents can use the front seat to install the baby car seat, as long as they make sure to back up the seat as far back as possible and as long as the car is not equipped with an airbag on the front right side. In that case, the newborn car seat should never be installed at the front.

The seat for newborns should be installed at a 45 degrees angle. The baby should not be completely lying on his back nor completely be in an upright position. If the seat can't incline at a 45 degrees angle, it is advisable to put a rolled towel under the seat to fix the angle.

Remember that at 50 km/h or 30miles/h, the weight of objects in motion is multiplied by 35! Therefore, when a collision occurs, the 9 kilograms/20pounds baby now weighs 315kilograms/700pounds. If not well attached to an appropriate seating, the baby can go flying down to the dashboard or even be ejected from the vehicle.

Therefore, use a proper car seat for you baby, it could save your child's life in case of accident.

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