Surveys show that 9 out of 10 (90%) parents think they are using the right child restraint in the right way for their child. Yet according to Safe Kids Worldwide only 3 out of 4 (75%) car seats are actually being used correctly.
The National Traffic and Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA), car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers. Car seats can only work if as well as they should if they are used correctly.
Take this quiz to test your car seat safety know-how.
1. When does car seat safety begin?
a. when you are a couple weeks from giving birth it’s time to install the car seat
b. when you are in the hospital, you’re partner can install the car seat
c. after you bring the baby home you can go shopping for the right car seat
d. when you are 10 weeks pregnant it’s time to start thinking about car safety
2. I selected my child’s car seat based on…
a. the fabric. It either matched my car or was pretty.
b. the price. It was the most expensive so it must be the safest.
c. the fit. I choose one that my child would fit in. I tried it in my car and it fit, plus it was easy to install.
d. the salesperson’s recommendation. He works in the car seat department so he knows his stuff. Right?
3. I installed my child’s car seat…
a. in the center rear seat.
b. behind the passenger seat.
c. in the front seat so I can see her.
d. behind the driver’s seat.
4. True or false:
It’s safest to use both LATCH and the seat belt to install the car seat; after all the more the better.
5. After I get the harness on my child in the car seat, I tighten it until…
a. it looks comfortable on my child.
b. it’s snug on my child and I can’t pinch any excess material.
c. my child starts screaming while trying to breath.
d. wait, you’re supposed to tighten those straps?
6. I know I installed and am using my car seat correctly because…
a. I read the manual three times.
b. I sat in the car seat while tightening it and when I test it, it moves the whole car.
c. I had it checked by a certified child passenger safety technician.
d. I had my firefighter neighbor install it.
7. Because I know it can happen to anyone, to make sure I remember my child is in the car I…
a. keep a stuffed animal in the car seat and place it in the passenger seat when my child is in the car.
b. keep my purse or something else I’ll need when I get where I’m going in the back seat.
c. have my daycare setup to call me if my child is more than 15 minutes late.
d. all of the above.
8. When can my child move to just the seatbelt?
a. when my child is 8
b. when my child is 80 pounds
c. when my child can pass the 5-step fit test
d. when my state law says it’s OK
9. When can my child sit in the front seat?
a. when my child is out of the booster seat
b. when my child is 13 years old
c. when my child is safely buckled in a forward-facing car seat or booster
d. when my child is 18 I might consider it