The Car Accident Lawyers at Rutter Mills have some updated safety standards regarding keeping your little ones safe within car seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued complete new guidelines on car seats for children from birth to 12 Months. Below is a summary of the study’s findings.
Birth – 12 Months – Children under the age of 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat.
1-3 Years – Keep your 1 to 3 year old children in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, as it is the best way to keep them safe. They should remain in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.
4-7 Years – Keep your 4 to 7 year old children in their forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer.
8 – 12 Years – Keep your 8 to 12 year old children in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must tie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck of face.
For complete details on this study, including instructional videos – click here to check out the NHTSA web site.