Baby on board

As new parents prepare to leave the hospital, the staff makes sure the new parents know how to properly restrain the child in the seat, making their first ride, and every ride thereafter, as safe as possible.

"We want to be sure every family is using a child safety seat," said Deanna Shisslak, certified child passenger safety technician for Lehigh Valley Health Network's parent education program, "and if they don't have a seat, we want to be able to assist the family in securing a child safety seat.

"It is much easier to make adjustments to the infant seat, as well as safer to do this in the convenience of the patient room rather than the hospital driveway or parking lot," Shisslak said.

"We also encourage families to have their car seats checked by a certified technician before baby's birth to be sure they have an understanding of how to use the seat correctly."

Even with all this education before the big day, parents must be sure they are well versed in car seat regulations and guidelines to best protect their little ones.

Know the law

Motor vehicle injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's 2012 Traffic Safety Facts, the most recent data available, 1,168 children ages 14 and younger were killed in crashes; 32 deaths were in Pennsylvania.

Child safety seats helped reduce fatal injuries by 71 percent in infants younger than 1; and by 54 percent for toddlers ages 1 to 4, the NHTSA reported.

Pennsylvania law requires all drivers operating a passenger car, truck or motor home to securely fasten children under 8 years of age in an approved child restraint/booster seat.

Drivers transporting children under 4 years of age are responsible to securely restrain those children in an approved child passenger restraint system. If not, they may be stopped by police for non-compliance of the Child Passenger Protection Law.

Drivers who have children older than 4 but under 8 are also responsible for "securely restraining the child in a seat belt system and an appropriately fitting child booster seat."

This offense carries a fine of $75 plus court costs, but could be dismissed if the person can provide a receipt showing the acquisition of a child passenger restraint system before or at the hearing.

Buckle me up, Mom!

Walk into any baby store and you will find dozens of different car seats, each equipped with the necessary safety features, while trying to provide the most convenience in a rainbow of colorful fabrics.

Some are made strictly for infants, while others are made to grow with the child as they transition from rear-facing to forward-facing seats and possibly even boosters.

Pennsylvania State Trooper Shannon Yorke, a certified car seat technician, said all seats have benefits as long as parents use them properly and follow the height and weight restrictions set by the manufacturer.

For children under 2 and less than 35 pounds, purchasing an infant carrier or convertible car seat is best to ensure the safety of the child.

Yorke said the reason for keeping a child in the rear-facing position for two years is to protect their rapidly growing body.

"If you are involved in a crash and the child is forward facing, their body is taking a pretty decent amount of stress from the impact because they aren't developed enough to withstand a forward-facing crash," she said. "If they are rear-facing, it is actually the seat taking the brunt of the crash force."

She said that some children may be taller than others, so parents might be tempted to move the child to a forward-facing seat sooner than the recommendations.

"As long as the child is within the weight and height range of the seat, they can still be rear-facing," Yorke said. "A lot of parents are concerned because they are afraid their child will get injured in a crash if they are tall and rear-facing so they turn them around. Our reply to that is it is easier to fix a broken leg should that occur if the child is rear-facing than a head, neck or spinal cord injury, which could happen if the child is forward-facing too soon.

"The longer you can keep them rear-facing, the better for them if you get into a crash," she added.

A new view

Once a child exceeds the height and weight limits of the seat and can safely move into the forward-facing position, Yorke said there are options parents should look at to decide what is best for their child.

Forward-facing seats include convertible and booster seats.

Children over 2 but under 4 must be in a harnessed forward-facing seat, meaning that the seat must have the double shoulder harness that secures the child into the seat.

Debbie Balch, administrative assistant for Care Net of Carbon County, said that it is best practice to utilize these harnessed seats until the child outgrows it because a child at age 4 who is not harnessed in may try to get out of their seat while the vehicle is moving.

Yorke echoed Balch's thoughts, and said a 4-year-old will probably not feel comfortable in a booster seat because they don't know how to sit properly for long periods of time yet.

"They're going to put the shoulder belt behind their back or under their arm," she said, "lay over and fall asleep on the back seat, making it dangerous for them in the case of a crash. Parents need to decide when their child is ready after they are 4, but we always recommend keeping them in a harnessed seat for as long as they can before transitioning to a booster."

Growing up fast

When the child is ready to transition into a booster, usually between 4 and 8, Yorke said different types of boosters are available, including high back and no back boosters; as well as some convertible car seats, which can transition into a booster seat.

High back boosters are typically made for vehicles that don't have headrests on the back seats; while no back boosters can be used with seats that have headrests.

"One of the questions parents should ask when trying to decide on a booster is 'does my vehicle have headrests and are they adjustable,'" Yorke said. "If the answer is 'no,' then the child needs a high back booster to give them the head protection they need."

Balch said high back boosters can be used with headrests. No back boosters can be used if the child is short enough that their head is not above the top of the seat with no headrest.

Yorke said a child isn't ready to transition into the car's regular seat belt system until they are at least 4-foot, 9-inches tall and over 80 pounds.

Once the child is at least that height and weight, use the safety belt test to see it is time to move to a regular vehicle seat.

Mindy Graver, chairwoman of Carbon County Safe Kids, said a child should be able to sit completely back in the seat and have their knees bend comfortably, with feet flat on the floor.

If they can't, then they still need the booster seat.

If a child is slouched in the seat, the seat belt will sit on the stomach, rather than the hips," Yorke said, "and can cause serious injury in the event of a crash.

Keep me safe, Dad!

There are ways parents can make sure they keep their child safe when riding in a vehicle.

"Parents try to do the best they can," Yorke said, noting that there is a lot of information available, which can be confusing.

That's where car seat checks come in.

Yorke said that every state police barracks in Pennsylvania has at least one certified car seat technician who can make sure a car seat is properly installed and the child is within the height and weight requirements.

In addition, Carbon County Safe Kids hosts free car seat checks throughout the county annually; and Care Net, located in Lehighton, has a certified car seat technician available by appointment.

Balch urged parents to register their seat because that will help them know if there is a recall issued.

To register a seat, a parent can either fill out the manufacturer form supplied with the purchase; or register it online on the manufacturer's website.

It is important that every seat has a manufacturer label to find out all necessary facts.