Tips for Installing a Child Car Safety Seat

In April, in our community blog, we offered you tips on how to evaluate and select a child car safety seat.

Now, we are going to direct you to a number of sources for tips on how to install it properly.

But first, some statistics. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nearly 80 percent of all car seats are improperly installed and used. That is a very troublesome statistic, and may to a large degree contribute to another very troublesome statistic: Automobile accidents are the number-one killer of children under 14 years old.

As anyone who has tried to install a child car safety seat knows, getting it done right isn’t easy. That’s because there are so many different model cars and car seats that the combination of the two is probably some number in the thousands.

So, it’s a safe bet there’s no set of directions specific to the combination car seat and car you are working with.

But don’t get discouraged. Help is available from a variety of sources.



Here’s a video from Edmunds.com that shows you how to install child car safety seats that have the most common configurations.

http://www.edmunds.com/flipper/do/MediaNav/articleId=104581/firstNav=Gallery/videoId=20029769

After watching the video, you can also read, in great detail, about how to install a child car seat at:

http://www.edmunds.com/advice/womenfamilies/articles/104581/article.html#

Here are a few highlights from the Edmunds.com instructions:

First, read both the car and child seat manuals carefully. Follow the car seat manufacturer's advice. If you have questions, call the car seat or vehicle manufacturer.

For a Rear-Facing, Infant-Only Seat with a Separate Base -- LATCH Install:

1. Locate the lower anchors in the back seat, or if you have an SUV, the second-row window seats.

2. Make sure the car seat lays flat against the seat's bottom and back, between the lower anchors.

3. Hook the LATCH attachment that is furthest away from you onto the anchor. Then, if possible, climb on top of the seat, putting your knee on top. Using your weight to fully compress the vehicle seat, hook the other attachment to the anchor and pull out the slack. If you can't get on top of the seat, use all your strength to push down on the seat while hooking on the second attachment.

For a Rear-Facing, Infant-Only Seat -- Standard Shoulder and Lap Belt Install:

1. Thread the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt through the correct slots, called the "belt path." If you have a convertible car seat that reverses from forward-facing to rear-facing, be careful to choose the correct path; it will be clearly marked.

2. Plug the latch plate (male end of the seatbelt) into the buckle (female end), then, using your weight as above, to tighten the belt. Make sure all the slack is taken out of both the lap and the shoulder. Typically, using a locking clip will give you a more secure installation.

A locking clip is an H-shaped piece of metal that comes with all new car seats or can be ordered from the manufacturer. To use one, plug the seatbelt in, make it as tight as possible, and then unplug it again while holding the belt very tightly. Wind the locking clip around the belt as close as possible to the latch plate, then plug it back in. You may have to bounce down on the seat a few times to get it closed. This won't be easy, but, if done correctly, it will give you a rock-solid installation.

3. Remember that a rear-facing infant car seat should sit at a 45-degree angle to prevent the baby from slumping and to keep his or her airway open. Check your instructions to see if your seat has an angle adjuster; if so, use it. If not, a small piece of a swimming pool "noodle" wedged under the seat is the safest way to get the same angle.

Forward-Facing Toddler Seat — LATCH Install:

1. Use your body weight to compress the vehicle seat. With a rigid LATCH attachment, simply push the attachments onto the anchor. For a flexible one, hook the attachment over the anchor. In both cases, pull the straps as tight as you can.

2. Locate the tether at the top of the safety seat. The purpose of the tether, when properly anchored, is to prevent the car seat (and thus the baby's head) from snapping forward. Different cars have different locations for the tether anchors. They can be behind or under the seat, along the rear window shelf and, in many SUVs and wagons, on the floor of the cargo bay or in the ceiling. You must check your vehicle owner's manual to be sure.

3. Hook the tether to the anchor point. Then pull tight on the belt to remove any slack. Make sure NOT to attach the tether to the sliding seat adjuster or to a cargo hook. Don't attach more than one car seat tether to the same anchor point unless your vehicle manual says it's OK.

Forward-Facing Toddler Seat — Shoulder and Lap Belt Install:

1. For a shoulder and lap belt installation, thread the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt through the appropriate belt path.

2. Buckle the seatbelt. Use your body weight to compress the vehicle seat cushion. If the child seat has a "lock-off" clip — located on the side of the seat — be sure to refer to your instruction manual on how to use it. If it doesn't have a lock-off clip, pull the shoulder belt slowly all the way out, then let it retract. If you hear clicking sounds, the seatbelt has an automatic locking retractor, and is locking itself. (Some retractors are very quiet, though — if the belt feels rigid after it retracts, the seatbelt is most likely locked.) Pull the belt as tight as possible.

3. If you can still pull out slack on the belt, you do not have seatbelts that lock automatically and you will need to use a locking clip to secure the seat. Bear in mind that emergency locking retractors are not the same as automatic ones and, despite their name, must still be locked down with a clip. To use a locking clip, unplug the seatbelt and hold it tight. Wind the locking clip around the belt as close as possible to the latch plate, then plug it back in.

4. What many people don't understand is that the lap portion of the seatbelt is the part responsible for keeping the car seat secure. The shoulder belt portion must be "locked down" if the lap portion isn't locked on its own, which is what usually happens.

5. After a car seat is installed, the seatbelt's latch plate should NOT lie against the curved opening of the car seat. If it does, try to make the buckle shorter, even if it means twisting it a full turn or two around. If that still doesn't work, your car seat might not be the right choice for your car.

6. Finally, check to make sure the car seat doesn’t move more than an inch side to side along the belt path. If it does, tighten the straps or try installing it again.

Check with the Child Seat Safety Inspector at your Local Police Station.

After all is said and done, the best thing you can do is have an expert check your installation.

You can check to see if your local police station has a safety officer specially certified in installing child car safety seats. If so, most hospitals recommend that before you even bring your child home for the first time, you drive your car with the car seat installed in it to the police station and let the expert check to make sure it is correctly installed, before you put your new baby in it.

Or, to find a Certified Child Safety Seat Inspection
Station, call your car dealer, or go to NHTSA's Child Passenger Safety section and click on the photo of the Baby in a Car Seat, then click on "Seat Inspection Stations" in the right navigational bar, or go to the National Safe Kids Campaign site. Considering the high percentage of incorrectly installed car seats, it is always best to have a professional look at it.

That way, you'll know you've done your best to protect your child, from day one, in the unfortunate event of an automobile accident.