Holiday Travel: Keeping Christmas Merry

There is so much to do during the holiday season; decorating, shopping, preparing for relatives, parties, and of course, making the rounds to all the relative's houses.  With so much to think about, it can be easy to forget that children need special attention when they hit the road.  When we prepare for that trip to grandma's house, we make sure that the car has been serviced and is gassed up.  So when was the last time you checked your child's car seat?  

The safety features in your car are designed to protect you, the adult.  They do nothing to protect a child in a crash as they weren't made for people their size.  The only thing that is designed to protect your child is their car seat.  Any car seat, no matter what kind of safety features it may have, is designed to work when the seat is properly installed in the car and the child is properly restrained in the seat.  If those two criteria are not met, then all those safety features that you paid all that money for will not be able to do their job.  

The safest car seat is the one the fits your car best, is appropriate for your child, and you can use correctly every time. This will not be the same seat for everyone so it is best to seek the advice of a professional when selecting a new seat for your child.  If the person helping you does not ask what kind of car the seat is going into, then they can not help you.  That would be like going into an auto parts store to get new brake pads for you car and having the attendant just hand you a set because, after all, a car is a car.  

If you took the time to have your car checked out before your trip, take some time to have your child's car seat checked out too.  Over 90% of car seats are either not installed  correctly or not used  correctly.  That 90% includes some pretty smart people, but people who have not been trained in how to properly install and use their child's car seat.  Taking a few minutes to have your seat checked and to ensure that you are using it properly can make all the difference in a car crash.  Places like the Cobb Safety Village in Marietta, your local fire or police department, and even some specialty stores offer such services free of charge.  One should always call first to either make an appointment or make sure that the car seat technician is available when you will be stopping by.  

While many parents will make sure their babies and toddlers are in a car seat, most small children, those between the ages of 5 and 12, are riding improperly restrained.  If a child is under 57 inches tall, then they will not fit the vehicle's belts and other safety systems.  In a crash they will be injured or worse.  The current Georgia law requires a child be in a car seat until they are over 8 and over 57 inches tall.  The results of a crash involving a child who should have been in a booster seat but wasn't can easily turn the holidays from a time of cheer to one of immense sorrow.  Don't let this happen to you.

Better safe now than sorry later....