Installing child car seats suck but there’s no denying how important properly using these devices is to saving lives and minimizing injuries during an accident. Using a booster seat or regular seat belt when your child gets older is just as vital.

These are the messages we at City Dads Group want to reinforce with all our moms and dads as we start National Child Passenger Safety Week 2018.

Vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death for children in the United States. An average of two children under age 13 were killed per day in 2016 while riding in a vehicle, according to national statistics. Many times those deaths, along with various non-fatal injuries, could have been prevented with proper use of car seats, boosters and seat belts.

But what constitutes proper use?

Most parents have wondered at one time or another whether the child restraint system they are using is properly installed or even just the right one for their child’s age, height and weight .

City Dads Group has put together this list of car seat resources to make your life easier and the life of your child safer:

• How to find the right car seat – National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• How to install a child safety seat – DMV.gov
• National Child Passenger Safety Week main site — Includes guides, checklists and more
• Precious cargo in the city: Child car seat / booster seat safety FAQ – NYC Dads Group/Britax (downloadable PDF)

Get child car seats inspected by an expert

If you already have a child car seats installed in your vehicles, you should have an expert look at it to make sure everything is just right. Since Sept. 29 is National Seat Check Saturday, check your local media or with your local police departments for inspection locations being set up in your area that day. You can also use these sites any time of year for inspections:

• Find a certified child passenger safety technician – SafeKids.org
• Find a NHTSA Car Seat Inspection station — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The week of September 19th is Child Passenger Safety Week.  If you’re like me, you’re thinking that it seems like there’s a day, week, or month for just about everything under the sun these days.  I don’t blame you, but this one is really important.  Research shows that over 70% of car seats are not being used in cars properly.  OVER. SEVENTY. PERCENT.  That failure rate may be okay for a non-all star baseball player’s batting average, but not our kids safety.

Why do people spend hours reading reviews about what the safest car seat is, and then spend several hundred dollars on it, but don’t take the time to ensure it’s installed properly?  Why do people diligently child-proof their home, but neglect their car?  When you think about it, it doesn’t make sense, but yet it’s reality.  And even when you do pay attention to child passenger safety, some things can be confusing or counter-intuitive.

So what are we doing about it? Several things, actually.

1) We’re teaming with a local non-profit agency, Family Compass, to help promote their FREE carseat checkup event on Saturday the 24th.  This is by appointment, and is a great way to have a Child Passenger Safety Technician make sure your family isn’t among the 70% doing it wrong.  More information about that is available by clicking here.

2) We’re teaming with Britax to help promote their message of the importance of child safety next week.  On Monday Sept 19th at 11:30 CT on the City Dads Group Facebook page, we will be hosting a live video chat from Britax headquarters.  During this event, you’ll learn from Britax’s safety experts, have a chance to win a carseat, and for each comment posted Britax will add $25 to their carseat donation to the Good+ Foundation.  Be sure to like the City Dads Group page and elect to receive notifications, and you will get notified when the live event begins.

3) Something else.  Stay tuned.  We’ll make a big announcement soon for a Dallas Dads Group and Britax collaboration.

**Disclosure Note: City Dads Group will receive compensation for the live Britax event. We limit our sponsored collaborations to relevant partners that offer products and services we believe in. **

My son is now 7, and much to his chagrin, he’s still in a car seat, not a booster. We have a booster, but it’s for guests or travel mostly. Whenever it is convenient (and many times when it’s not) we strap him into the car seat because of the 5-point harness. He’s going to be in that car seat until he physically doesn’t fit into it or he starts driving, whichever comes last. Here’s why.

During the spring, we were driving home from one of our sojourns. We were on a busy road in Yonkers, N.Y., in my wife’s Toyota Matrix. My then 4-year-old was in the back (in the car seat, of course) and I was driving alone. We had come to a complete stop right in front of a patch of hospital/medical buildings, waiting for the guy in front of me to make a left into one of the doctor’s offices.

I was intent on the guy in front of me, waiting for him to move so I could move, so I wasn’t expecting the sudden jolt from behind. I also wasn’t expecting to be pushed about 4 feet forward directly into that guy’s car.

A van had struck us from the rear. I’m not sure exactly why, but it seems the guy had taken his eye off the road (we think he was looking at his cellphone) and when he looked up he realized that he was moving a lot faster than he thought he was. He rammed right into us.

5-point harness saves the day

My first thought was of my kid, who looked up and said brightly, “What happened, Dad?”

“I’m not sure, are you OK?”

“Yeah!” he said.

I then got out to explore the damage and figure out what the heck had happened.

It didn’t seem too bad at first (our airbags didn’t go off) and I thought we were going to escape with a mild fender-bender until I realized that our car’s whole frame had been crunched, moving the rear end in toward the tire. When I tried to move it, the frame of the car was impinging on the rear tire. The entire back, including the trunk, would have to be straightened. The insurance company declared it a complete loss.

I had a minor bruise where my seatbelt had held me in place, but no serious whiplash or lasting consequences. My son — absolutely no injury at all. He barely knew anything had happened. His car seat had kept him safe. And he was excited because we got to ride in the tow truck (and without a car seat, I have to add).

After that harrowing experience, my wife and I agreed that he would be in the 5-point booster as long as was feasible. And that’s where he’s been ever since.

If you still need convincing of the power of the 5-point harness, take a look at this harrowing safety test video. This shows a test between the booster and the 5-point harness, in which the harness wins hands down.

So stay safe out there!  (And 5-point harnessed!)

Do child car seats drive you crazy? Join the line, buddy.

Most moms and dads have struggled with installing a seat at some time or wondered whether with child restraint system they are using is the right one.

To mark this being National Child Passenger Safety Week, City Dads Group has put together a list of resources to make your life easier and the life of your child safer by taking the hassle out of car seat installation:

• How to find the right car seat – SaferCar.gov
• Precious cargo in the city: Child car seat / booster seat safety FAQ – NYC Dads Group/Britax (downloadable PDF)
• How to install a child safety seat – DMV.gov
• Have a certified child passenger safety technician check your car seat installation – SafeKids.org

City Dads Group will also host a #TheRightSeat webinar at 9 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, Sept 16,  led by car seat safety expert Sarah Tilton — aka “The Car Seat Whisper” — from stroller and car seat maker Britax.

Members of our City Dads Groups from around the country will also be tweeting the knowledge Tilton is laying down for those not on the webinar as well as giving away choice Britax car seats. To win, you will need to log on to Twitter that night and follow #TheRightSeat, @Britax and @CityDadsGroup to follow the action.

Car seat safety is essential but there’s a good chance your child may be one of the three out of four kids not properly secured in a vehicle because their car seats are not correctly installed. This is a big reason why motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages one through 12 years old.

With Child Passenger Safety Week upon us, we want to emphasis the need to improve those frightening numbers. Sarah Tilton, child passenger safety advocacy manager (aka The Car Seat Whisperer) for our good friends at stroller and car seat manufacturer Britax, offers these important tips:

Select a car seat that fits your baby and your vehicle(s). Also, be sure that you can use it correctly each and every time.

• Be sure your car seat fits your growing child. Seated shoulder height is often overlooked.
• Belt-positioning boosters seats are for bigger kids. Don’t transition out of a 5-point harness prematurely.
• When using LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), be aware that your vehicle’s lower anchors have weigh limits. You must switch to vehicle seat belt installation when the weight of the car seat and the child exceed 65 lbs.
• A snug harness strap should not allow any slack. If you’re able to pinch the strap, the harness is too loose. You should not be able to pinch any excess webbing.
• For children 12 years of age and under, remember — the backseat is always the safest place for them to ride. Be sure to check your child seat and vehicle user guides for available seating positions.
• Britax recommends that the use of a child seat be discontinued if it has been in a moderate to severe crash. Also, never purchase a used car seat if you don’t know its history.
• Car seats have expiration dates. Double check the manufacturer’s tag to be sure your seat is still safe.
• Never leave your child in a vehicle unattended, especially during hot weather.
• Be sure your child’s harness is tight enough, especially in the winter months when children are bundled up in thick layers and bulky outerwear.
• After buying a car seat, be sure to register your product either by visiting the manufacturer’s website, mailing the registration card or by calling their customer service department. That way you can be contacted in the event of a recall.
• Always refer to your child restraint user guide or call your car seat’s customer service about installation and proper use questions you might have.
• If you still feel unsure about your car seat installation, have a certified technician check your installation.

Is your child one of the three out of four kids who are not properly secured in a vehicle because their car seats are not correctly installed? This is a big reason why motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for kids ages one through 12 years old.

City Dads Group wants to emphasize the need for car seat safety. Sarah Tilton, child passenger safety advocacy manager (aka The Car Seat Whisperer) for our good friends at stroller and car seat manufacturer Britax, offers these important tips on car seat safety:

• Select a car seat that fits your baby and your vehicle(s). Also, be sure that you can use it correctly each and every time.
• Be sure your car seat fits your growing child. Seated shoulder height is often overlooked.
• Belt-positioning boosters seats are for bigger kids. Don’t transition out of a 5-point harness prematurely.
• When using LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), be aware that your vehicle’s lower anchors have weight limits. You must switch to vehicle seat belt installation when the weight of the car seat and the child exceed 65 lbs.
• A snug harness strap should not allow any slack. If you’re able to pinch the strap, the harness is too loose. You should not be able to pinch any excess webbing for ultimate car seat safety.
• For children 12 years of age and under, remember — the backseat is always the safest place for them to ride. Be sure to check your child seat and vehicle user guides for available seating positions.
• Britax recommends that the use of a child seat be discontinued if it has been in a moderate to severe crash. Also, never purchase a used car seat if you don’t know its history.
• Car seats have expiration dates. Double-check the manufacturer’s tag to be sure your seat is still safe.
• Never leave your child in a vehicle unattended, especially during hot weather.
• Be sure your child’s harness is tight enough, especially in the winter months when children are bundled up in thick layers and bulky outerwear.
• After buying a car seat, be sure to register your product either by visiting the manufacturer’s website, mailing the registration card or by calling their customer service department. That way you can be contacted in the event of a recall.
• Always refer to your child restraint user guide or call your car seat’s customer service about installation and proper use questions you might have.
• If you still feel unsure about your car seat installation, have a certified technician check your installation.

Get more info in this child car seat safety FAQ we created!