Installing Car Seats
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Installing a car seat
can be a difficult task. Most experts encourage you to install the car seat
at least three weeks before your due date. This will allow plenty of time
for you to meet with a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician and to
learn how the car seat works before baby arrives.
Every aspect of car seat installation is not
included in this page, but before you begin, read the manufacturer’s
instructions that came with the car seat. Also, refer to your vehicle
owner’s manual. Both of these resources can give you valuable information to
help you get the installation correct. When you finish installing the seat,
have it checked by a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.
Become familiar with the seat belt system.
There are various types of seat belt systems. Those include lap belt only
and lap and shoulder belt combinations. Each of these seat belt types have
different retractors and some have no retractor at all. The retractor is the
mechanism that rolls up the seatbelt when it is not in use and takes up
slack around the user. Each type of seat belt can also have various types of
latch plates. The latch plate is the part of the buckle that locks or
connects into the buckle. Refer to your vehicle owner’s manual for details
on the type of seatbelt, retractor and latch plate in your vehicle.
One goal for installation is to get the car
seat snugly installed into the car. To do this you may need to apply
pressure or push down onto the base or onto the car seat while tightening
the seatbelt. The car seat or base should move less than one inch from side
to side at the belt path.
Rear facing seats will move or have some give
at the front of the vehicle seat. This is normal for the seat to perform
properly in a crash. Another goal of installation is to insure that the seat
is at the proper angle. Most bases have an integrated angle control
mechanism that you will need to adjust. Others require the use of tightly
rolled towels under the base or the seat. Most seats have an angle indicator
to help you achieve the proper angle. Refer to the owner’s manual for help
adjusting the angle.
When in doubt, make an appointment with a
Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician. The CPS Tech will teach you how
to install the seat properly.
You must read the vehicle instruction manual and the car seat instruction
manual to properly install a car seat. Also, children under 12 should always
ride in the back seat.
The forward facing car seat must be installed
upright, not reclined. If you have used the seat in a rear facing position,
make sure that you adjust the seat so that it is upright.
The seat must be installed so that it is
snug. Ideally, the seat should not move more than one inch from side to side
at the belt path. You will need to read the vehicle instruction manual to
determine how to properly use your vehicle seatbelt system.
Most Forward Facing seats require the use of
a tether strap to help secure the seat. Read the manufacturer’s instruction
manual to determine if your car seat requires the use of a tether strap.
To get the child restraint tight, it is
necessary to put your weight into the child restraint while you tighten the
seatbelt as much as possible. You may want to have someone help you install
the seat to get it tight.
Remember: a Certified Child Passenger Safety
Technician can teach you the proper way to install your child restraint.