safety

Tips To Ensure Your Child Is Safe In A Car Seat While You Drive.

This is a sponsored post. But all views regarding car seat safety mentioned below are of my own.

In India there aren’t any mandatory child safety seat regulations. However, the rate of accidents is too high so using a car seat is of paramount importance to ensure the safety of our children.

Firstly, I shall list the precautions you need to take while choosing the correct car seat.

img1643525802-1503503578170.jpgimage courtesy: Southern mommas

  1. Every vehicle has its own specifications pertaining to the car seat installation. So, read the owner’s manual carefully before buying a car seat.
  2. Make sure you choose the correct seat for your child’s age, weight, and height.
  3. Buy a car seat according to the space available in the rear seat area of your car. A seat with a large base may not fit in a small car.
  4. Choose a car seat which has clear instruction manual regarding installations with proper diagrams and text.
  5. Make sure that the belt path is easily accessible and the seat belt can be securely fastened.
  6. Choose a car seat with clips which are secure and cannot be opened by a child easily. You can choose a car seat with a two- piece retainer clip as these are difficult for a child to unfasten.
  7. Choose a car seat which is easier to clean. This is necessary for Indian conditions particularly.

Since we do not have mandatory rules in India, I do not see many parents using car seats for their children. Rather I see infants and toddlers seating in the lap of adults in the front seats of the car. I feel this is too dangerous and should be avoided. Also, since we do not use car seat we might make some mistakes regarding car seat safety.

So, I have listed here common mistakes that parents make regarding car seat safety.

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  1. Not using the car seat regularly and consistently.
  2. Getting a used car seat without checking out the car seat specifications of your car.
  3. Placing the car seat in the wrong place. Always place the car seat in the center of the back seat.
  4. Using the car seat as a replacement for the crib. Using the car seat outside of the car for general use and for long hours is not good for the child.
  5. Installing the car seat incorrectly without reading the instruction manual.
  6. Reclining the child at an incorrect angle in the rear facing position of the car seat. Again, read the instruction manual and understand the diagram properly while adjusting the angle of the car seat.
  7. Moving to a forward -facing car seat too soon. A child should be moved to a forward-facing car seat only when he has reached the age of 2 years, gained a weight of around 16 kilograms or a height allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
  8. Not using booster seats. In India we do not use booster seats. We start buckling them up on the seat belts too soon. According to international safety standards a child should ride in a booster seat until he reaches the age of 8 years.
  9. Holding the child in your lap.
  10. Letting your child ride in the front seat.

Have you used a car seat for your child? What precautions you take while driving with your child? Do you feel India needs laws pertaining to car seat safety?

Do let me know in your comments.

Until then Drive Safe! Happy Parenting!

To know more about cars and installation of car seats visit : cars.com

Images courtesy: Pixabay

 

 

37 thoughts on “Tips To Ensure Your Child Is Safe In A Car Seat While You Drive.”

  1. This such an useful post for all moms. Tjis post is a relief for anxious over protective moms like me. I must hv read around 100 articles wen i was gettin a car seat for my son…thanks for sharin

  2. This was quite an insightful article about the safety of our babies. I use to be one of those to who thought that baby car seats were not important but I have done my share of internet research and know how important it is while traveling with our little munchkins.

    1. That is true. I didn’t use the car seat initially but later on when I had to drive in the city with my daughter, I realised car seats are a must.

  3. Car safety is must while traveling with family or all alone. These tips are really gone to make journey more comfortable and cosy for the loved ones

  4. I had this question for very long now that why isn’t it made mandatory to have a car seat for kids in vehicles here in India! It is long due that we got such rules into place considering the rate of accidents in our country.

  5. Sharvari Paivaidya Mehan

    Car seats are essential to be fitted in cars here in Australia as they help keep our children safe in the car. This is such an informative post and i wilk be sharing this to spread the word.

  6. Those are some great tips Aesha, there is a very important thing to add is that until a child becomes 15-16 it is better to avoid them from sitting on the front seat. I have seen many parents neglecting this and small kids are sitting on their laps while the dad or mom is driving its a very risky distraction. It better to be safe than sorry 🙂

  7. I love carseats! They have been a savaiour many a times in maintaining my sanity! They love watching from the seat and my elder one loves watching her sister .. These are great tips.. But one thing i didn’t understand is placing the seat in the middle o the rear seat .. Isn’t it the the corner that the seat must be placed

    1. No , corner is not advisable since the child will be near the door. Also vehicles have a car seat manual but because in India it isn’t mandatory to have a car seat, some cars do not have a design conducive for placing car seats in the centre of the rear seat. That is why before buying a car or a car seat a manual needs to be studied.

  8. Aesha you have compiled very useful points in this post. We really need that seat car that can be cleaned properly as kids often spoil seat covers. We should always be careful about baby’s sitting position.

  9. That’s an informative post. I think we should have strict rules for using car seats for kids. I started using the car seat when my baby turned 8 months old and I am really happy that we decided on this really soon.

  10. Some great tips Aesha! I agree that the car seat should not be used in place of cots! Some definitely good suggestions!

  11. This is really an informative post I have come across and with some really important information on rear facing…we jump too soon on front facing and booster seat is still not that widespread in india

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