About the child in the car: what we need to know?

What is a child car seat for?

When the child is in a car seat , it is tightly fastened and can not move around the car - respectively, can not interfere with the driver or harm himself while the parent is busy with the road. A quality and correctly chosen chair increases the probability of survival of the child even in the most terrible accidents to 97%, and also reduces the likelihood of injuries while driving.

The official rules for transporting children in special seats have appeared relatively recently. Previously, this responsibility was entirely on the conscience of parents , who, fortunately, understand that the chair is needed primarily for the safety of their child , and not to avoid a traffic police fine . It is definitely not allowed to transport the child in the hands of the parent. If you do this, you are risking the child's life. Even in the event of a minor accident, the adult would not be able to hold the child. It often happens that mothers from the maternity hospital hold their baby in their arms on the way home. Discharge is an exciting process, parents still do not have the habit of putting a baby seat in the car, and also do not think carefully about dressing . As a result, they decided to take the child, dressed in beautiful lace diapers, not adapted to transportation in a chair, holding him in his arms. And yet this is the most vulnerable age, when even a minor catastrophe can cost his life.

Recently, devices have begun to appear in stores that hold ordinary car seat belts , which, according to the manufacturers, can replace the seat. But if you look on the Internet, you will find many videos of tests on these devices, where it is obvious that they not only do not ensure safety , but can also cause serious injuries.

How to choose a suitable chair?

The car seat should correspond to the age group of the child , as well as his weight. When choosing it, we should focus on crash tests , which are conducted with the model we have chosen, and not with analogues. It is good for the chair to be chosen together with the child , to be measured like shoes. The seat for children up to three years of age must have five seat belts , and after the age of three a seat can be used in which the child fastens with the car seat belt . The chair is suitable for your child if his head is protected by side cushions, and the belts provide a reliable and secure fixation, in which the child can not get out of the chair.

The prices of high chairs are very different. There are both very cheap and expensive options. They differ mainly in their safety properties, but the price is also affected by the quality of the fabric, wear resistance, easy cleaning and, most importantly, the ability to ensure a comfortable trip for the child . It happens that parents buy second-hand chairs , which saves money and chooses a better model. But if you have decided to do so, you must be sure that the chair has not been involved in an accident before. Otherwise, its safety is a serious question.

How to properly put the child car seat?

It is very important that the chair is installed correctly - otherwise it does not perform its functions and even becomes a source of danger. It must be purchased in stores where staff have undergone special training and can demonstrate how the installation should proceed. Some seats are equipped with sensors that indicate that they are not placed properly.

Almost all modern cars have an ISOFIX secure attachment system. This is a more reliable attachment, which is harder to make a mistake. Fastening brackets are easy to find between the back and rear seats , and there are "anchors" in the child seat that attach to these brackets.

Newborns and children up to one year of age should only be transported against the direction of travel . The child's head is heavier than the weight of the whole body, the skull is thin and soft, the muscles and nerves of the neck are immature and can not hold the heavy head. Therefore, at such an early age, the child should be protected. When placing the chair in the direction of travel, even a minor accident or even a sudden stop can damage it.

What is the safest place in the car?

As for the safest place in the car , opinions differ here. The traffic police recommends the place in the middle of the rear seats, because this way the child is protected from side impacts, and also in the event of a collision there is no risk of it hitting the front seat. However, if an ISOFIX seat is used, as a rule, the middle part of the seat does not have the necessary means of grip - they are located on the left and right. It is believed that the driver intuitively defends himself in an emergency, so the safest place is behind the driver , but presidents , for example, drive on the right . Most parents also carry their children on the right, as it is more convenient to watch them while traveling . This factor is very important, because there is nothing more dangerous than a parent who constantly turns his head to check if his child is all right.

It is better not to put a seat on the front passenger seat . If you still have no other choice, make sure that the airbag is switched off beforehand. If you do not know how to turn it off, it is better to cancel the trip altogether than to risk the child's life.

What is the correct posture of the child in the chair?

The child must be so tightly fastened with the belts that a maximum of one finger can be inserted between them and the child. There have been a lot of test videos lately that show child models flying out of their seatbelts in collisions , even at low speeds .

What to do if the child refuses to sit in the chair?

It is important for the child to get used to the chair from birth , he should not even assume that he can travel in the car unbuttoned . This applies not only to the child, but also to the parents. If you fasten it, but you do not fasten it yourself, then in time it will want to look like you.

Children do not oppose because they do not like belts - it is important to clarify the cause of stress . In any case, forcing a child to sit in a high chair is a bad idea. Get special toys for the car so that the child can enjoy them, sitting in the chair, and also be sure to bring his favorite toy , including the one with which he is accustomed to falling asleep . For the youngest passengers there are special toys-mirrors that help to entertain and control them. Protect your child from the sun with the help of special sunshades : often the sunlight that enters their eyes is a cause for concern .

Is it safe for the child to sleep in the chair?

Properly selected quality chair ensures comfortable and safe sleep even in a sitting position. For this, the chair needs to be equipped with a headrest with side cushions that help keep its head from moving. Note that when fixing a simple belt with three gripping points, the maximum angle of inclination of the back is five degrees. These requirements are related to the fact that in the supine position the child slips off the belts, ie it is not securely fixed.

Additional tips:

• Entertain the awake child with toys or songs to associate car travel with something enjoyable.
• Never take the child in your arms if he is capricious while moving. Stop to rest and then take it, feed it, change the diaper, or just take a walk in the fresh air.
• In the first year of life, the child should rest in the car seat every hour.
• Food and water should always be on hand.
• Never leave a child alone in the car . Despite constant warnings, the death of children from overheating in a closed car is still quite common.