The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently released a new set of guidelines for children’s car seats. By giving parents additional information on child seat safety, the NHTSA hopes to reduce the number of children injured in car accidents each year.
The new guidelines provide instructions on child seat safety for four age groups: 0-12 months, 1-3 years, 4-7 years, and 7-12 years. NHTSA recommends that children under age one ride in a car seat that is securely attached to the rear seat and faces the rear of the vehicle. These car seats should never be placed in the front seat because an airbag that hits a rear-facing child seat could cause serious injury to the child.
Toddlers from one to three years old can ride in a forward-facing car seat, but should still ride in the rear of the car. NHTSA recommends using a car seat for as long as the child fits inside it safe and hasn’t outgrown the height and weight limits listed by the car seat’s manufacturer.
Between ages four and seven, many children will outgrow their car seat but will still be too small to use a seat belt safely. For these kids, the NHTSA recommends a booster seat. Booster seats lift a child up so he or she fits safely inside the car’s seat belts. The booster seat can be removed when the child becomes tall enough to wear a seat belt properly, which usually happens between ages seven and twelve.
More information about child safety seats is available at NHTSA. To learn more about your legal rights in New Hampshire after a car accident, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced New Hampshire accident attorneys at Tenn And Tenn, P.A. Call (603) 614-5055 today for a free telephone consultation.