Survey Finds Alarming Number Of Booster Seat Blunders
MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week, and one organization is out with a new survey with some alarming numbers about how many parents are not properly using booster seats.
According to Safe Kids Worldwide:
- 9 out of 10 parents stop using booster seats too soon
- 7 out of 10 parents do not know how tall their child should be before transitioning from a booster seat to a seat belt. The answer is at least 57 inches tall.
- 1 out of 4 parents do not always buckle up their child on every single car ride.
Safe Kids Worldwide CEO has a theory as to why some parents aren't prepared.
"They might be in a hurry. They're not educated about the right height. They think that maybe it's about age, but in fact, it's really about height and weight when you look a car seat. Those are the two important factors you want to check," said Safe Kids Worldwide President & CEO Kate Carr.
When it comes to properly securing your child, Safe Kids recommends double-checking the car seat's label to ensure it's appropriate for your child's age, weight and height. Also, give the seat a good shake at the base to make sure it's securely in place.
Always make sure it's facing the right direction; rear facing until around age 2, then you can move it forward facing.
Another important step to remember is making sure the straps are tightened.
According to Triple-A, one of the most frequent mistakes a parent makes when using a car seat is not tightening the straps.
Children are not protected by their booster seat if the straps aren't secured properly and they could be subject to higher crash forces.
Triple-A says the straps should lie flat without any twists, and you should not be able to pinch any extra material on your child's shoulder.
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