Kids and Cars | Vehicle Safety | Des Moines Personal Injury Law Firm

Galligan & Reid, P.C.

Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyers Fighting for a Safer Iowa

KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE IN CARS

Kids and Cars – Keeping Our Kids Safe – Kids must be properly restrained in the correct restraint system for their age and size every time they travel in a vehicle. While some progress has been achieved in recent years in preventing child occupant deaths and injuries by increasing the correct use of child safety seats, booster seats and safety belts, more work needs to be done to protect child occupants who remain at an increased risk.

Iowa’s Child Passenger Safety Law (2004) Provides:

Children must ride in an appropriate rear facing child safety seat until one year of age and at least 20 pounds.
Children must ride in a child safety seat or a booster seat through the age of 5 years. (Seats must be used in accordance to manufacturer’s directions)
Children ages 6 through age 10 must ride in a booster seat or a seat belt.

Please consult these resources to make sure that your kids are traveling safe with you:

General Child Seat Use Information Buckle Everyone. Children Age 12 and Under in Back!
	AGE / WEIGHT	SEAT TYPE / SEAT POSITION	USAGE TIPS
INFANTS	Birth to at least 1 year and at least 20 pounds.	Infant-Only Seat/rear-facing or Convertible Seat/used rear-facing. Seats should be secured to the vehicle by the safety belts or by the LATCH system.	Never use in a front seat where an air bag is present. Tightly install child seat in rear seat, facing the rear. Child seat should recline at approximately a 45 degree angle. Harness straps/slots at or below shoulder level (lower set of slots for most convertible child safety seats). Harness straps snug on child; harness clip at armpit level.
INFANTS	Less than 1 year/ 20-35 lbs.	Convertible Seat/used rear-facing (select one recommended for heavier infants). Seats should be secured to the vehicle by the safety belts or by the LATCH system.	Never use in a front seat where an air bag is present. Tightly install child seat in rear seat, facing the rear. Child seat should recline at approximately a 45 degree angle. Harness straps/slots at or below shoulder level (lower set of slots for most convertible child safety seats). Harness straps snug on child; harness clip at armpit level.
PRESCHOOLERS / TODDLER	1 to 4 years/ at least 20 lbs. to approximately 40 lbs.	Convertible Seat/forward-facing or Forward-Facing Only or High Back Booster/Harness. Seats should be secured to the vehicle by the safety belts or by the LATCH system.	Tightly install child seat in rear seat, facing forward. Harness straps/slots at or above child’s shoulders (usually top set of slots for convertible child safety seats). Harness straps snug on child; harness clip at armpit level.
YOUNG CHILDREN	4 to at least 8 years/unless they are 4’9" (57") tall.	Belt-Positioning Booster (no back, only) or High Back Belt-Positioning Booster. NEVER use with lap-only belts—belt-positioning boosters are always used with lap AND shoulder belts.	Booster used with adult lap and shoulder belt in rear seat. Shoulder belt should rest snugly across chest, rests on shoulder; and should NEVER be placed under the arm or behind the back. Lap-belt should rest low, across the lap/upper thigh area—not across the stomach.

Resource: http://nhtsa.gov/

Choosing a Child Safety Seat - The best child safety seat is the one that fits your child properly, is easy to use, and fits in your vehicle correctly. The best way to ensure a proper fit in your vehicle is to try installing the child seat before purchasing.

Consult NHTSA’s Child Seat Ease of Use Ratings for government ratings of child seat models for assembly, labeling, instructions, installation and securing your child. Note: A NHTSA ease of use rating is not a safety performance rating.

Also visit Consumer Reports, a subscription site that allows search of independent crash and safety ratings of child safety seats. Well worth the low one year subscription price.

Make Sure Your Child Safety Seat Is Properly Installed and Fits Correctly!

The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau identified these common child safety seat misuses:

Seat installed too loose
Improper seating position (in front of an air bag)
Not buckling child into restraint
Not securely anchoring the child restraint to the vehicle
Improper seat for child's age and size
Infant riding forward facing
Harness retainer clip not at armpit level
Loose harness straps

Have your seat inspected FREE. To find a FREE inspection station near you, go here. Or for a listing of permanent inspection stations throughout the state of Iowa, visit www.blankchildrens.org.

For a safety seat fit checklist, go here.