Automotive | All About Automotive

Each child safety seat needs a safety belt or LATCH to hold it in place. LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) is a system designed to make safety seat installation easier.

Check the safety seat instructions and the vehicle owner's manual for tips on using the safety belts or LATCH to install a safety seat (E).

If using safety belts, put the vehicle safety belt through the correct belt path on the child safety seat (see F below). Check the child safety seat instructions or look for labels on the seat that mark the safety belt path. Use the correct belt path for the direction the safety seat is facing.

The child safety seat must stay tight at all times. Check for tight fit by holding the seat at the belt path and by pulling the seat side to side and forward. The child safety seat should not move more than one inch sideways or toward the front of the vehicle.

IS THE HARNESS POSITIONED THE RIGHT WAY AND BUCKLED SNUGLY ON THE CHILD?

The harness straps must fit on strong parts of the body: the shoulders and hips.

Use the correct slots for the harness (F). Using the wrong slots can cause serious injury. Check the manufacturer's instructions for the correct placement of the harness straps.

Keep straps on the child's shoulders, not arms. Keep straps flat on the child's shoulders and snug enough to keep the child from moving forward.

Place the harness retainer clip at armpit level (F).

WHEN IS A CHILD READY FOR THE ADULT SAFETY BELT?

Until age 8, most children have not developed strong hipbones, and their legs and body are too short to allow for proper fit of a safety belt. Safety belts are designed for adults.

To be able to fit in a safety belt, a child must:

Be tall enough to sit without slouching,

Keep his/her back against the vehicle seat back,

Keep his/her knees completely bent over the edge of the seat,

Keep his/her feet flat on the floor, and

Be able to stay comfortably seated this way.

The lap belt must fit low and tight across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should rest over the center of the shoulder and across the chest (G).

Never put the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the child's back. This can cause severe internal injuries in a crash. If the safety belt does not fit properly the child should use a belt-positioning booster seat.

Always check belt fit on the child in every vehicle. A belt-positioning booster seat may be needed in some vehicles and not in others.

ALWAYS read and follow the child safety seat instructions and the vehicle owner's manual!

By Carjunky

(NAPSI)-To make sure that "back-to-school" and safety go together, many new-car dealers across the country are hosting child safety seat inspections this fall.

They will be doing this as part of a national "Boost for Safety" campaign, a program developed by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The initiative is planned to coincide with the beginning of the school year, when many children will be on the roads each day.

Experts say more than 40,000 child passengers under age four are injured or killed in car crashes annually. And over 50,000 kids between four and eight are injured or killed each year.

We hope others will join us in this important effort to educate parents and their kids about the need to buckle up safely," said Jack Kain, NADA chairman and a Kentucky new-car dealer.

For more information on child seat safety and the "Boost for Safety" Campaign, visit www. nada.org/boostforsafety.

As part of a safety program, car dealers are offering free inspections of children's car safety seats.

(NUI) - According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more children are killed as passengers in car accidents than by any other type of injury.

Many of these deaths and injuries can be avoided with the proper use of child safety seats and seat belts. While 97 percent of parents believe they install and use child safety seats properly, NHTSA reports that nearly 73 percent of child seats are installed and/or used incorrectly.

The following are some tips on child safety in and around motor vehicles.

* Never position a child in the path of a front air bag. Kids of all ages are safest when properly restrained in the back seat.

* Always keep a child secured in a child restraint. Make sure the harness straps and the seat itself are not loose and that your child is the right age and weight for the restraint used.

* Before getting into the vehicle, check for children around the area, behind your vehicle and in the street. When backing out, roll down the window and listen to hear if children are playing near your car or calling out to you, check rearview and side mirrors for children (or pets) and honk to give a warning that you are moving your car.

* Never let your child ride on your lap. It is not only unsafe, it is illegal in all 50 states.

Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge service specialists provide these additional reminders for child safety:

* Never leave a child unattended in a car.

* Always keep the car locked, including the trunk or hatch.

* Keep fold-down seats in the upright and closed position so children do not crawl into the trunk.

* Keep car keys out of reach and sight of children.

* If a child gets locked in a car and cannot get out, immediately call 911 for assistance.

There is no substitute for having a child's safety seat professionally checked.

Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers offer two free services and informational Web sites to assist parents: SEATCHECK, a toll-free hotline and Web site listing more than 3,000 child seat inspection stations across the country (1-866-SEAT-CHECK; www.seatcheck.org) and Fit for a Kid, a dealer-based child safety seat inspection service (1-877-FIT-4-A-KID; www.fitforakid.org).

Safety seat inspections are available by appointment at participating Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealers for anyone, regardless of make or model vehicle they drive. For more information, visit your local Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge dealership.