How To Choose The Safest Car Seat For Your Baby?

On road travel, what would you count as a stress-free journey? Your baby is snugly seated in a car seat, or would you rather take the risk of placing those tiny beings on your laps?

Ever since the birth, the baby’s safety becomes the top priority for the parents, owing to their sensitive nature, and baby car seats happen to be one of the very first purchases by new parents to ensure their well-being.

These seats have become their travel assistant since their first drive home from the hospital. Therefore, it is important to focus on the various facets to keep in mind while choosing the car seat for their children.

Let us now understand everything about car seats so you can make an informed decision.

Why Car Seat Safety Is A Big Deal?

Driving has become a purely psychological activity that demands mandatory precaution with proper restraints while travelling on the road.

Also, according to research, almost 45 children die regularly under the age of 18 years in road accidents. This makes car seats mandatory baby gear for children’s well-being.

Various other benefits of car seats include

1. Reduces the risk of injury by:

• 71% for infants (under 1 year old) in rear-facing seats.
• 54% for toddlers (1 to 4 years old) in forward-facing car seats.
• 45% for children aged 4 to 8 years while using booster seats.

2. The age-appropriate design supports the efficient support to the neck, head, and spine, thus promoting proper growth and development of the baby.

3. Prevents the incidence of sudden ejection in case of a collision.

Let us now understand the steps to follow while purchasing the car seat.

A. Step 1: Know the Types of Car Seats

This is an essential part, as it determines various types of car seats available in the market that are differentiated based on age, multifunctionality, comfort, and convenience.

Let us now understand each of them in a little more detail.

I. Infant Car Seats

These are compatible within the age range of 0-12 months and are designed to hold a particular weight limit. They are only available in the rear-facing model and are usually detachable from the base for easier portability.

Why Rear-Facing?

The rear-facing feature in the infant car seats is to protect them at all costs in the case of frontal crashes, as it allows an even distribution of the force, reducing the risk of serious injury.

Brownie Point: Many of the infant car seats are compatible with the strollers to allow ease of accessibility for the sleeping baby.

II. Convertible Car Seats

These are the new buzz in the baby gear industry due to their ease of convertibility. These are suited to the age group of 0-4 years. Also, it can be converted to rear-facing and forward-facing, according to convenience.

In addition, these are sometimes also convertible into a car seat, carrycot, rocker, and feeding chair with just a click!

Drawback: Bulky and remains installed in the car. Not portable.

Brownie Point: A long-term investment for kids’ safety.

III. All-in-One Car Seats

These are like the epitome of everything in a car seat. It is because these car seats are adaptable within the age range of 0 to 10 years and include three features, that is, rear-facing, forward-facing, and a booster seat.

Drawback: Due to its multi-functionality, it is heavier than usual and is not portable!

Brownie Point: It is a one-time investment!

Tip: A customized car seat would offer personalized baby gear, especially designed for your baby!

IV. Booster Seats

They come in various sizes and are mostly designed to provide a snug fit for the children in the car seat. They can be used for the age group of 4 to 12 years and are of two types:

• High-back to support the head/neck and is ideal for cars without a headrest.
• Backless, designed for the older kids for their proper head support, according to their height.

Tip: Be sure to wear the car’s seat belt, as they do not come with their seat belt.

B. Step 2: Familiarity with the Laws

Before making this purchase, it is equally beneficial to be aware of the standard laws and procedures to follow the best safety practices.

There is no law governing the mandatory implementation of the car seats across the private vehicles yet in the country. However, according to the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, the child safety awareness campaign is being empowered by the government.

Also, complying with the ISOFIX car seat standards, it further supports child safety, necessary for their growth and development.

Tips for Parents

• Ensure to always use an age-appropriate car seat irrespective of the legal requirements.
• Always opt for the ISI-marked or globally certified seats.
• Opt for the car seats that support ISOFIX standards.

C. Step 3: Safety Ratings

These determine the overall seat performance of the car seat, be it in times of crash, installation, or ease of usage.

Here are a few things to keep in mind while purchasing the car seat.

• Not all car seats are safe, and a higher safety rating indicates higher protection due to ease of installation and usage.
• They are designed with many safety features like an anti-shock system, side impact protection, an anti-rollover support leg, an adjustable backrest and headrest, a detachable base, etc.
• Always check the compatibility with the cars.

Tip: Always check the ratings of various crash tests.

Tip: A good-rated car seat always provides clear guidance.

D. Step 4: Certifications To seek

There are various certifications to seek, like:

• ECE R44/04 or ECE R129 (i-size), compatible with the European safety standards.
• FMVSS 213, compatible with the U.S safety standards
• ISI mark (BIS), in compliance with the Indian safety standards.

E. Step 5: The Harness Game

The car seats possess two types of harness systems:

I. Three-Point Harness: Simple but less secure!

It includes two shoulder straps and one crotch strap, but no straps for the hip portion. This makes it less effective in times of an accident. This is because it fails to provide non-rotation movement by the body and also puts a load of pressure on the upper body during the impact.

Although it is less commonly used in the car seats, its application is more in the booster seats and also some portable, lightweight strollers.

II. Five-Point Harness: The Elite Standard!

This includes a harness with two shoulder straps, two hip straps, and one crotch strap. This is also known to distribute the impact of the force evenly at the most vulnerable positions and also further prevents submarining.

It is also known to keep the child secure in times of a crash from the sides, and its application is widely popular among the infant car seats, convertible seats, and forward-facing seats.

Rules:

I. Rule 1: The straps must be snug enough. Also, in the

• Rear-facing, the shoulder straps must be below the shoulders.
• Forward-facing, the shoulder straps must be above the shoulders.
• Chest clip position must be at the armpit level.

II. Rule 2: Bulky clothes are a big no! This is because they promote loose safety harnesses.

III. Rule 3: Always ensure that the height and weight are appropriate.

IV. Rule 4: Check for the twisted straps, which means less surface area in the crash, which results in higher injury risk.

F. Step 6: Installation

The second-most important step after the purchase is its installation, which also requires checking if the associated connectors are secure enough, along with various color indicators for easier identification.

Tip: The car seat must not move more than an inch in any direction, and also keep a check on the belt routing in both the forward- and rear-facing seats.

G. Step 7: Second-Hand Purchase

Car seats must always be purchased new, as it is at the cost of the safety of your child. In case you still want to invest in secondhand, it is necessary to look for the following:

• The lifespan of the car seat is around 6 to 10 years. Be mindful to never purchase one nearby their expiry date.
• Whether it is replaced after the car crash.
• Check for the visible missing components, cracks, stress marks, or broken parts.
• Always be mindful to receive an instruction manual.
• Prefer purchasing from a close friend or family member.
• Double-check before placing your child into it.

Conclusion

Choosing a car seat must be more than just the outer appearance, as it is necessary to look for various safety features, a harness system, anti-shock, side impact protection, an adjustable and portable design, etc.

Lastly, remember that it is like your baby’s travel assistant to provide you with a stress-free journey. So invest wisely!