Here at Casey and his friends we hope to help make your travel time a little easier. Children can occasionally become frustrated while strapped into their car seats. Know that the best thing you can do for your child's safety is insuring they are buckled in properly.

"Most parents understand the importance of putting their children in car seats, especially their younger kids, but reports still show that 80% of kids aren't secured correctly in a car seat. Among the easiest mistakes to avoid is to just make sure that your child is in the correct car seat for his age and that he is facing the right direction."

Source: keepkidshealthy.com

There is useful information under our safety portion of the links page on how to make sure you car seat is installed properly.  Please take a moment and review  some common mistakes parents make, both when installing Car Seats and securing your child correctly into their seat.

Car Seat Safety Information Among the easiest mistakes to avoid is to just make sure that your child is in the correct car seat for his age and that he is facing the right direction.

Once you have the right seat, it is easy to make mistakes by not securing the seat correctly in your car or not securing your child correctly in the seat. Common mistakes when using a car seat include:

• having harness straps too loose or in the wrong position
• having a harness chest clip in the wrong position
• not locking the seat belt properly with a locking clip, seat belt retractor or locking latchplate. Keep in mind that newer seat belt systems have a built-in locking mechanism.
• not securing the car seat correctly, by either using the wrong seat belt path or not making the seat belts tight enough
• placing an infant seat in the path of an air bag.

When using a forward facing convertible seat , make sure that:

• harness straps on forward-facing restraints are positioned at, or slightly above, your child's shoulders.  You should be using the top set of harness slots for convertible child safety seats.
• the harness straps are snug and straight
• the harness chest clip is positioned at your child's mid-chest or armpit area.

When using a forward facing combination seat , make sure that:

• harness straps would be positioned at, or slightly above, your child's shoulders. 
• at 40 pounds, you remove the harness straps and use your car's lap/shoulder belt, especially if the harness straps are below the child's shoulders. 
  
• you stop using a shield booster once your child is 40 pound

When using a belt-positioning booster seat , make sure that:

• you always use the lap/shoulder belt combination with a belt-positioning booster. Never use a lap belt only. This includes no back and high back booster seats.
• the shoulder belt rests snugly across chest, rests on shoulder; and should NEVER be placed under the arm or behind the back. 
• the lap-belt should rest low, across the lap/upper thigh area, and not across the stomach.

You should also avoid using a car seat that has:

• been recalled
• involved in a crash
• is more than 10 years old (or depending on the manufacturer, more than 5-6 years old)
• doesn't have a label with the date it was manufactured and the seat name or model number
• doesn't have instructions
• is missing parts or has cracks in the frame

Source: keepkidshealthy.com

Safe Kids Coalition emphasizes that parents read both the instructions not only for the car seat, but for the manual for their car as well. It takes both to properly install the seat.

Casey and his friends is for use in FORWARD facing Car Seat ONLY

• Infants should be in a rear facing infant only seat or convertible seat until they are 1 year old AND twenty pounds. Children who reach twenty pounds before their first birthday still need to face backwards and can be moved into a rear facing convertible seat. Smaller infants who don't reach 20 pounds until after their first birthday should also continue to face backwards. This is more a minimum though. Many people advocate continuing to sit toddlers rear facing in a convertible seat until they outgrow it for added safety.
  
• After they are twenty pounds and have passed their first birthday, toddlers can use a forward facing car seat (either a convertible, combination or forward facing seat) until they are about 40 pounds. 

Source: keepkidshealthy.com

Do You Think Your Child's Car Seat Is Installed Properly?

If you think, "Yes", think again. Statistics show anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of car seats are installed improperly .  

Where to Start?
Well, let's start at the beginning -- buying a seat. When buying a seat, first make sure you know the height and weight of your child. That information is crucial in finding a car seat that fits your child properly. Second, when you go to buy a seat, try to go to a store that will allow you to try the seat in the car before you actually purchase the seat. If you are unable to "try before you buy", make sure you save the receipt so you can take it back should you need to do so. Third, keep in mind that just because a seat cost a lot of money, doesn't mean it's "the best". Chuck Fowler of Project Safe Seat says that all seats have to pass the same inspection and meet the same requirements. "A thirty dollar car seat may fit your car correctly and make your child safer than the one-hundred-and-thirty dollar [seat] that really fits in well, so you can't always go with price, " says Fowler.

Things To Keep In Mind When Buying a Seat:

1. The seat fits well in your car
2. The seat is a seat that you are comfortable with
3. Know your child's height and weight to determine how long you can use the seat you choose.
4. Realize you could be making a lifestyle change -- Do you need a different vehicle to ensure the safety of your child(ren)?
5. Make sure you fill out the recall card that is in the box your seat came in. If there should be a recall on your seat the manufacturer can notify you.
6. Make sure you hold on to your car seat manual. Not only do you need it to install the seat, but you may need to refer to it at a later date.
7. Don't be afraid to ask questions.

If We Can Do It...So Can You
The most important thing you can do is to make an appointment to have your car seat checked. You may think you are doing everything right, yet up to 90% of us are still making mistakes when installing our children's seats. We went with one Mom to a car seat check. Click Here to Go On a Car Seat Check With Us.

Basic Do's and Don'ts  
DO make an appointment to have your seat checked by someone who is certified to install car seats or attend a car seat safety check. Some car dealers are now offering car seat checks. If you decide to make an appointment, it usually only takes about forty-five minutes.

DON'T make up excuses. Stay aware of current recall and safety information (some helpful links are provided below). We're all busy, but nothing is more important than our children.

If you are in any kind of collision, DO replace your car seat(s). Just because your seat "looks fine" doesn't mean it shouldn't be replaced. Some insurance companies will pay for the cost of replacing your seat. Also, be sure to check your seat belts as well. They may need to be replaced after a collision. Remember car seats as well as seat belts and all safety equipment are designed to withstand one major collision. That's why it is crucial that you check all safety equipment after any collision.

DON'T buy a seat at a yard sale or a consignment store. Because you don't know the age or history of the seat, it's best to buy a seat new. The seat may have been in a collision and you would never know.

DON'T put your child in the front seat with an airbag. Children under 12 should always ride in the back seat.

Parental Commitment
Having a car seat that is installed properly isn't going to do any good unless you have a child who is sitting in the seat. Does your child not like to sit in his seat? Does she cry when she is put in her seat? TOO BAD!!!!!!!! "The most important part of what we do involves parental commitment," says Lt. Jason Wells. Who is the boss of this situation? You are. You are responsible for the well-being of your child. That seems so silly to say, but some parents don't enforce this very simple rule: You must sit in your car seat. Period. If they cry, that's a bummer. They'll get over it and so will you. It's hard to drive when your child is crying, but you can do it. If you get your child used to riding in a car seat from the very beginning, he won't mind sitting in it for the simple reason that he won't know any other way.

Not So Fast
Okay, so you think you know the basics. One thing you may not realize is that information is CONSTANTLY changing. Seats that were safe one day can be recalled the next. Click here to see if your child's seat has been recalled. It is our responsibility as parents to keep abreast of the most current safety information. This holds true not just for car seats but for anything we use for our children and in our home. Click Here to see if some of the items in your household have been recalled. There is so much information on car seat safety and installation and it does sometimes seem like it's overwhelming to sort through it all, but you can do it.

For more in-depth information on installing your child's car seat properly, Click Here.

Source: www.kidsandkaboodle.com