AAA Warns Parents to Avoid Most Common Car Seat Mistakes

Parents urged to make sure their children are seated, safe and secure as part
of National Child Passenger Safety Week

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Parents go to great lengths
to make sure their children are safe. But when it comes to car seat safety,
too frequently minor mistakes can put children at risk without parents
realizing it.

To kick-off National Child Passenger Safety Week, Sept. 12-18, AAA warns
parents of the six common car seat mistakes. Motor vehicle crashes are the
leading cause of death for children; however, 244 lives of children under age
5 were saved during collisions in 2008 because they were secured in a safety
seat.

To help ensure their child is safe in a crash, AAA urges parents to guard
against these mistakes.

1. Not using a safety seat. Whether an infant, toddler or booster seat-age
child, parents should always use the appropriate child restraint system
every time their children are in a vehicle. Safety seats reduce the
risk
of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and by 54 percent for
toddlers.
And, using a booster seat with a seat belt for older children instead
of
a seat belt alone reduces the risk of injury by 59 percent. Any child
under age 8 or a height of 4 foot 9 inches needs some kind of safety
seat
in addition to the vehicle's seat belt.
2. Not reading safety seat instructions. Three out of four car seats are
installed incorrectly. With thousands of combinations of child safety
seats and vehicle belt systems, it's important for parents to read
both the vehicle owner's manual and the child safety seat
instructions before installing a seat to ensure it's done properly.
3. Using restraints for older children too soon. Whether it's turning
an infant forward-facing or progressing into an adult seat belt,
parents
frequently advance their children into the stage of safety restraints
too
soon. Infants should remain rear-facing until they reach the upper
weight
limit of their rear-facing car seat--usually around 30 to 35 pounds. At
an absolute minimum, children should not be turned to face forward
until
they are at least age 1 and 20 pounds. All children under age 13 should
be placed in the back seat.
4. Installing safety seats too loosely. When a child safety seat is
properly
installed, it should not move more than one inch in any direction.
Parents should use either the vehicle's seat belt or LATCH system to
secure the safety seat--but not both, unless approved by the vehicle
and
car seat manufacturers. If using a seat belt, make sure it is locked to
hold the seat snugly in place and use the tether when appropriate.
Children should use a booster seat until an adult seat belt fits them
properly--typically around age 8 or when the child is 4 feet 9 inches
tall.
5. Adjusting seat harnesses incorrectly. Safety seat harnesses should
always
be snug and lie flat without twists. Harnesses should be at or below
the
child's shoulders when rear-facing and at or above the shoulders
when forward-facing in order to hold the child's body upright and
against the seat. The chest clip should be positioned at armpit level.

6. Keeping loose items in vehicle. Any loose items in a vehicle, such as
purses, laptop bags or umbrellas can become dangerous projectiles in a
crash or sudden stop and cause severe injury to a child, other
passengers
or the driver. Make sure to secure loose items and provide children
with
only soft toys to play with in a vehicle.

AAA has a web site dedicated to helping parents understand how to properly
keep their children safe inside a vehicle. Visit AAA.com/carseat for detailed
information on how to select the proper safety seat for a child and where to
get safety seats checked by trained professionals.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA
provides more than 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and
automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit,
fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and
security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at
AAA.com.

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Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click
appropriate link.
Christie Hyde
https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=64864

AAA news releases, high-resolution images, broadcast-quality video, fact
sheets and podcasts are available on the AAA NewsRoom at AAA.com/news.

Additional information on child passenger safety, children's games and
activities and more is available from AAA at AAA.com/SafeSeats4Kids.

Stay connected with AAA on the web via:
Twitter.com/AAAnews
Twitter.com/AAAauto
YouTube.com/AAA
MySpace.com/AAAeveryday
AAA fan page on Facebook.com

SOURCE AAA

Christie Hyde of AAA, +1-407-444-8003, chyde@national.aaa.com