Safety For Children in the Car From 1 to 3 Years – Usblog Guide

The safety of the children is the top most priority of every parent. This is especially true when you are in the car with them. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics provides guidelines for safety in the car for young children.

It is important to understand what to do when you have a child between 1 to 3 years old. Keep reading this article to find out what safety precautions you can take as a parent. 

Also, read our blog post about the Different Reasons Why Brake Locked Won’t Start

Safety For Children in the Car From 1 to 3 Years

There are a number of precautions that you can take as a parent in order to ensure the maximum safety of your loved one during the car journey. Some of the most useful ones are discussed below:

Use Child Restraint Systems:

Child restraint systems (CRS) are devices that allow children to travel safely inside a car. Until you are 12 years old or 1.35m tall, the law requires you to use these systems when traveling.

Vehicle seats and passive safety systems have not been designed for the specific needs of babies and young children, and therefore the use of these devices is essential.

In the case of babies up to 2 years of age, the head is proportionally very large compared to the rest of the body, so their spine, especially the cervical area, requires special protection. Child restraint systems used properly can reduce the risk of injury by up to 75%.

Things You Should Consider Before Purchasing a Child Restraint System

• The seat must be approved: look for the label with the E that will tell you which vehicles it is valid for and the weight of the children who can use it.
• Try the chair that you are thinking of acquiring with your baby and assess its comfort and adaptation, thus guaranteeing that it accepts being anchored.
• Check that the seat fits your car seat and seat belts perfectly.
• Ask them to explain the installation instructions to you and rate positively those that are simpler.

If your vehicle incorporates it, the ISOFIX anchorage system is the safest and most practical. In addition, it guarantees the correct fastening.

Other Safety Precautions That You Can Take

• The child safety system must always be used, even on the shortest journeys.
• It is recommended that children travel rear-facing for as long as possible; preferably up to 4 years.
• The belt or harnesses must never be twisted or folded.
• The child’s head should never protrude above the back of the seat. If this occurs, it indicates that it is time to move to the restraint systems of a higher group.

Characteristics of Different Types of Child Safety Seats in Car

Below we will explain the basic main characteristics of the various types of child safety seats in the car, depending on their age and weight.

Child of up to 1 year (12 months):

Carrycot or cuckoo approved, only for babies

• They can only be used in the back seat of the car.
• They must be placed in a horizontal position and transversal to the march.
• They must have two fastening bands on the baby’s body.
• They are fastened through the ISOFIX anchorage system or the two seat belts.

Child of up to 1.5 years (18 months):

Maxi-Cosi Type Baby-only seats

• They can be placed in the front or rear seat, provided the passenger seat airbag is deactivated.
• They should always be located in the opposite direction to the movement of the vehicle.
• They are fastened through the ISOFIX anchorage system or the seat belt.
• They are portable, small, and fit best for newborns.
• They must be located with an inclination of less than 45°.
• The center closure should rest on the child’s chest, not on the neck or abdomen.

Child of up to 3 years (36 months):

Use convertible seat

• They are bigger and heavier but can be used for a longer time.
• They must be installed in the car and always check that they are well fixed before seating the child.
• They can be used so that the baby is facing backward or forwards. As long as possible, preferably up to 4 years, it is recommended that the baby travel in the opposite direction to the march.
• They are fastened through the ISOFIX anchorage system or the seat belt.
• When the child is rear-facing, the top harness slots should be below or at the level of the shoulder blades.
• When used facing forward, they must be level or above.
• The center closure should rest on the child’s chest, not on the neck or abdomen.