Modern parents live in a fast pace of life, and the car is the main assistant to many mothers and fathers. It allows you to move around the city with a newborn in a convenient and comfortable mode. A little child needs protection from injuries like no other. For transportation of infants up to a year, a special chair is used in the car - a cradle that meets all safety requirements. You can read more about how to install a car seat in a car and how to choose the most secure seat in this article.
Why do you need a baby carrier
Most parents know why they need a car seat. At least everyone knows the law of the Russian Federation, which obliges parents to fasten their children using a special booster or car seat. The penalty for non-compliance with this rule is 3,000 rubles, while police officers carefully monitor its implementation. An exception is schoolchildren from 7 years: for their safety it will be enough to fasten them with a regular belt. For children up to a year in the line of car seats there is a special cradle, which differs from ordinary seats in that the child in it is in a horizontal position. The design of the seat is such that even in a collision with another car, the newborn will not receive serious damage.
Pros and cons of buying
The purchase of a car seat is not a whim and not a whim of the traffic police, but a means that saves the lives of hundreds of children every day. This is proved by statistics: according to the data, annually about 1000 children die in road accidents and 22 000 suffer injuries of various severity. Many injuries can be prevented or reduced by using a suitable age and weight car seat that is correctly installed in the machine. Many parents still believe that the baby feels safer on the hands, and in case of danger, the mother will be able to hold the child with her hands. But this opinion is far from the truth. The fact is that every 10 km / h multiply the weight of a person several times. And even at a low speed of 40-50 km / h, the load on the mother’s hands will be 70-100 kilograms, instead of the usual 10. No one will be able to maintain such weight in an accident, so the child is likely to receive very serious injuries. That is why experts do not recommend saving on a baby carrier and purchasing it before giving birth. Even a short trip from the hospital to the home cannot be made unfastened.
Types of car seat
Many parents ask how to install a car seat in a car. To answer this question, you first need to understand what type of car seat you bought. At the moment, the following varieties can be found in stores:
- Car seat category "0". These chairs are usually used for transporting children under 6 months. The maximum permitted weight of a child is 10 kilograms. A healthy child reaches such a mass at the age of 8-12 months, so it is not safe to use a cradle longer than this period. The cradle design features a fully horizontal back, which is convenient for young children. This design contributes to the physiological position of the baby during the trip. You can position the child only perpendicular to the movement.
- The chair category "0+" can be used until the child reaches a weight of 13 kilograms. Such a car seat has a longer period of operation, so manufacturers provide for the possibility of changing the position of the back. In addition, car seats are considered more reliable and durable than the cradles, and show better results in crash tests.
There is a common misconception among parents that children under 6 months old should not be transported in car seats marked “0+” because of a semi-recumbent backrest. However, it does not exert any load on the baby's still fragile spine. If the seat is installed correctly, the weight is evenly distributed on the surface of the back. Experts recommend that parents choose a seat from 0 to 13 kg, as they are the safest and best able to protect the child in the event of an accident. But it’s absolutely impossible to use removable cradles from strollers, as they are made of fragile plastic and are not designed to fully protect the baby on trips.
Where to install a child seat
The function of the infant carrier is to provide a comfortable and safe position for the baby throughout the trip. In order for the back of the newborn not to get tired, you need to change his position every 1.5 hours. To do this, it will be enough to stop and slightly vilify the child, and then again return to the chair, if you need to continue on. Transporting a child unfastened is very dangerous, as the seat can move to the side even during slight braking.
The most optimal for installing a car seat in the car is considered the middle place in the back seat. What are its advantages?
- The child is in close reach of mom if she is driving. She can easily see him if she looks around during a stop at a traffic light. If the child needs to be given a pacifier or a toy, this will also not be difficult.
- The space behind the driver's seat is considered the safest. Studies have shown that during accidents, drivers, regardless of their parental instincts, try to turn the steering wheel so that the blow falls on the opposite side of the car. Therefore, passengers in the front right seat are most often affected. The middle position is the safest option.
How to install a car seat in a car
The safety of the baby directly depends on the correct installation of the car seat. If the infant carrier is installed at the wrong angle, or in the direction of travel, then the risk of injury increases several times. In an emergency, any little thing can lead to irreversible consequences, so it is so important to know how to properly install the car seat in the car.
The cradle marked “0” is located in the back seat. Because of its size, carrying usually takes two passenger seats. It will be most optimal to choose the right side of the machine for fixing the cradle. It is installed perpendicular to the movement and is fixed by seat belts. The child himself also needs to be fastened with belts, which usually extend across the body of the baby, clasping and holding it in place. Each device has an image that schematically indicates the order and mounting scheme of the device. If you encounter any difficulties, you can see the instruction manual that comes with each infant carrier.
How else can I install a car seat in the back seat? Car seats marked "0+", which have a slightly raised back, must be positioned against the direction of travel. Best for this is the space behind the driver's seat. The chair must be at an angle of 30-45 degrees. Such a slope allows you to provide maximum safety for the baby's hip joints and neck, which, according to statistics, suffer most during accidents.
To correct the position of the chair, it is allowed to use rollers. You can even make them from old towels that are no longer needed on the farm. In addition, a 45-degree tilt is most convenient for the baby and reduces the load on the back. If the inclination is too small, the body of the newborn is not physiologically located, and this can lead to difficulty breathing and even apnea.
Installation procedure for the infant carrier
The car seat is attached either to the standard seat belts, or using the IsoFix mounts. The following is a brief instruction on how to install the infant carrier in the back seat:
- Move the front passenger seat forward.
- Establish a car seat against the movement of the car.
- Pass the lap section of the belt through the special holes that are located on the sides of the chair.
- Pass the shoulder section of the belt into a special connector on the back of the chair.
- Fasten the belt.
- Check the belt tension: the chair should not move and move side to side.
- Put the child in the seat.
- Fasten the standard belts of the infant carrier.
- Check the tension and fastening of the belts. They should not crash into the body and make breathing difficult.
Some parents are calmer when the baby is in close proximity to them, in the front seat. With this arrangement, mom is psychologically more comfortable and less distracted by the child. How to install a car seat in the front seat? The procedure is almost the same: the seat is attached either with the seat belt or with the IsoFix fastening system. But there is one important digression: before continuing the trip, it is necessary to turn off the front airbag, since in the event of an accident it can cause serious injuries to the baby.
How to put your baby in a chair
How to install a baby carrier in a car? And why can not you position it in the direction of travel? These questions are often asked by young parents. And there are clear answers to these questions. Statistics show that when children are facing the windshield, the risks of injuries increase significantly. During the collision, a huge load is placed on the cervical vertebrae of the child, because the force pushes the baby forward. And when leaning back, the fragile skull of the baby may suffer. If the chair is installed correctly, then the traumatic loads on the neck and head are significantly reduced.
IsoFix system
Most modern cars come with a standard IsoFix mounting system. It was developed by the International Organization for Standardization in order to increase the safety of transporting babies. How to install a car seat in a machine equipped with IsoFix? First you need to make sure that the purchased car seat has special brackets on the sides of the rear. If they are, they must be attached to the brackets located under the seat on the car body. Then the chair needs to be fixed with an “anchor belt” that holds the top of the seat. Unlike fixing the cradle with ordinary belts, the IsoFix mount holds the chair much more reliably, since the brackets are located directly on the car body.
How to choose a safe chair
What should I look for when choosing a baby carrier for a newborn?
- The chair must be certified. You can ask for supporting documents from the seller, by law he is obliged to provide them to you.
- Pay attention to the presence of a headrest and additional rollers on the sides and under the neck. They will help to conveniently and safely place the child in the chair.
- The device should be fit for the baby: not too large and not too small.
Recommendations
If a child was born in your family, the recommendations of specialists on the selection and operation of a baby car seat will not be redundant:
- Do not buy used goods. When buying with your hands, you can never check if a car seat has been in an accident. Even if externally it is in order, it may contain internal defects that affect the degree of safety.
- Fasten the baby not too tight: there should be a gap of about two fingers between the straps and the baby’s body.
- Remove winter clothing from your child before fastening it.
- If your car seat has a carrying handle, lower it by the back before installing it on the car seat.
Summary
A car seat is an integral part of the life of modern parents who care about the health and safety of their baby. You do not need to trust the myths that a newborn is not comfortable or uncomfortable in a car seat. Modern infant carriers are made taking into account all requirements, and their design is developed with the participation of orthopedists. The purchase of a child car seat should be one of the first purchases at the birth of a baby. A guide on how to install a car seat in the car will help you use this device most safely.