Buckle Up For Life’s Car Seat Safety Tips

Sep 21, 2016

Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or babysitter, there’s one thing we all agree on: car seats are not exactly simple contraptions. Recently, a study was revealed that 3 out of every four car seats are not installed properly. In honor of Child Passenger Safety Week (September 18-24), Buckle Up For Life, Toyota’s national car seat education program, is sharing five of their top tips for car seat safety.

Buy New: When you purchase a used vehicle, many times you will get a copy of the vehicle’s history report. With car seats, this is not the case. If the seat has been through a crash, it may be unable to protect your child. Also, general wear and tear can decrease effectiveness. Safety experts agree the best thing to do is to buy a new car seat.

Measure Twice: Once your child is buckled in, pinch the shoulder strap. If it wrinkles, tighten the strap. Then grab the bottom of the seat and move it from side to side and front to back. If the seat moves any more than an inch either way, it must be tightened.

Inner Beauty: Don’t be distracted by fancy fabric or other “luxurious” bells and whistles. Safety is most important and considering all car seats must meet the same federal child restraint safety standards, it is silly to spend more money than necessary.

Give a Boost: We know that children can be adamant that they’re a “big kid” and should be afforded the same privileges, like sitting without a car seat. But, if they’re under 4’9”, a seat belt won’t fit them correctly and will often ride up around their waists or necks, which can be especially dangers in an accident. Use a booster seat until they reach the proper height.

Consult the Experts: If you’re looking for more tips and advice, there are plenty of excellent resources at BuckleUpForLife.org. Check out things like car seat installation videos and links to car seat inspection stations.

Buckle Up For Life is just one of the ways that Toyota aims to keep their drivers safe. Stop in to see us at Fiore Toyota to learn more about our safety features in our New Toyota Vehicles.

“Buckle Up for Life Announces Top Tips for Car Seat Safety and Expands to 11 New Markets | Corporate.” Buckle Up for Life Announces Top Tips for Car Seat Safety and Expands to 11 New Markets | Corporate. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.