Page 511

Chapter 22 Protecting Children’s Health and Safety
Some of these seats come with
detachable bases, making it easy
to remove the seat while leaving
the base still secured in the vehicle.
Convertible seats face the rear in a
semi-reclining position for children
under 30 or 35 pounds and then
face forward in an upright position
for heavier children. These seats,
which are bigger and heavier than
infant-only seats, can be used from
infancy through the preschool
years. As the name suggests,
forward-facing seats can only be used
in a forward-facing position. These
seats are not suitable for infants, but
can be used for older children.
Although the law may permit
older children to ride in the back
seat with a standard seat belt, adults
need to understand that seat belts
were designed for adult bodies.
Buckling an older child into the
center back seat in no way matches
the safety of proper equipment.
Regular seat belts do not protect
children who weigh less than
80 pounds for the following reasons:
Young children can slip through
a regular seat belt because they
do not have long, heavy legs to
anchor them.
Regular seat belts can ride up
to a young child’s abdomen,
where there are no bones to
protect the child from the strain
of the seat belt if a crash occurs.
In a crash, the child’s internal
organs could be damaged.
The standard shoulder harness
of a regular seat belt can move
across a child’s face or neck,
which is unsafe. Young children
need a harness designed for
their size and body proportions
to protect the neck and head.
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To protect older children, booster
seats are used to position children
who are between 35 and 57 inches
tall and who weigh between 40 and
80 pounds. Booster seats are used
to elevate the child so the vehicle
seat belt will be fastened in the right
position. Thus, they are often called
belt-positioning booster seats. Some
parents prefer the newer combination
seats. These seats can be used by
preschool children with the harness.
When children are large enough,
they can safely use the same seat
without the harness as a booster seat.
Activity
Choosing a Child Safety Seat
Remind students
that parents need
to register car seats
with the manufacturer
and check recall lists
regularly. They should
keep manufacturer
information that
comes with the
car seat for model
number and other
identification
information.
Adults may buy new child
safety seats in many stores. Because
babies can arrive unexpectedly,
parents should choose, obtain, and
install the child safety seat several
weeks before the baby’s due date.
Hospitals will not release a newborn
unless the parents have the proper
child safety seat.
Parents will not want to buy a
car seat more than a few months in
advance, however. This is because
car seats are often subject to safety
recalls. In a safety recall, the
manufacturer of a product issues
a notice stating the product has
been found to be unsafe. For safety
reasons, consumers are asked to
stop using a recalled product unless
the manufacturer can provide
additional parts that will make the
product safe.
Before purchasing a car
seat, parents can check the
National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration Web site at
www.nhtsa.gov/, 22-11. For new
purchases, they should always send
the registration card that comes
with the seat to the manufacturer.
For each type of child
safety seat, have
students describe key
features of this type
of seat and identify for
which weight ranges
the seat is approved.
Reflect
If you were a parent,
which car seat (or
seats) on the market
today would you
choose for your
child from birth until
he or she reaches
80 pounds? Explain
your choice.
Note
8/17/2010 9:17:50 AM

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