Car Seat Safety: Common Misconceptions Leave Our Kids at Risk

BY CHRISTINA LYNCH

As a parent, you do everything you can to protect your child — including putting them in a car seat. But did you know that there really isn’t much of a difference between that $50 Cosco seat and the $450 Nuna Rava? They all have to meet the same National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards.

When choosing a seat, it’s smarter to focus on fit, not price. “The safest car seat is one that fits your child (height, weight and developmental needs), fits your car, and that you can safely and correctly install and use every time,” said Denise Devonish, Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and owner of DMD Health and Safety Training Services.

Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death in the U.S. for children and young adults ages 3 through 19; and unfortunately, it is estimated that 46% of car seats and booster seats are misused in a way that reduces their effectiveness, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

We all have the best intentions, but regrettably, car seat safety courses aren’t a requirement for having a baby, and there is a lot of bad information out there about car seat best practices. Devonish said that the most common misconception she hears from parents is regarding when a child should be turned from rear facing to forward facing. “A child should remain rear facing as long as the child is able to, based on the car seat recommendations,” she said. For example, the Britax Boulevard ClickTight has a 40-pound, 44-inch rear-facing limit, meaning that a child within those limits can safely rear face, regardless of age or if their legs look cramped.