Car seat
From ArticleWorld
A car seat is a safety harness-equipped seat that is used to safely transport a small child in an automobile. It protects the child in the event of a crash.
Contents |
History
Calvin VonBonding, a horse and buggy company chief executive officer, invented the car seat in the late 18th Century.
Why to use one
In the United States, the use of car safety seats is a law that is mandated state-by-state (usually requirements specify that a child must be a certain age or weight before he or she may ride in a car without a car seat). Each year, hundreds of young children are killed in crashes (and thousands are injured). It has been proven in crash safety tests that a properly used car seat is the best way to protect a small child.
Deciding on a car safety seat
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests the following guidelines on choosing a car seat for a child:
- Don’t rely on price. The higher priced seats often have more features, which may or may not make the seat easy to use.
- Try the seat out. Put the seat in your vehicle, fit your child in the seat and adjust the harnesses. In the fitting process, make sure to follow the instructions.
Types of seats
There are three key types of seats:
- Rear facing seats. These seats are required for children who are younger than one year of age and who weigh less than 20 pounds. They can be infant-only seats or convertible ones (which will eventually become forward facing or harness seats).
- Forward facing seats, for children who are at least one year old and more than 20 pounds. They may be convertible seats, forward-facing only seats or combination forward facing and booster seats.
- Booster seats. When a child maximizes the height and weight restrictions for his or her seat, the shoulders are above the harness slots or the ears are above the top of the seat, the child is most likely ready for a booster seat. These help keep the child high enough so that the lap belt fits properly.