Child safety in a vehicle is paramount due to the size and fragility of kids in a fast-moving automobile. It is important to install the car seat properly to ensure child safety. An accident with an incorrectly installed car seat can cause severe car accident injuries and even death.
Transport Canada Regulations
Transport Canada ensures that Canadians reach Canadian motor vehicle safety standards by performing a variety of tests on the seats before approving them for public use. Dynamic testing, buckle release testing, energy-absorbing material testing, and inversion testing are the four levels of assessment that car seats are put through before being authorized for use.
- Dynamic testing is when the car seat is tested in an acceleration sled that forcibly collides into a wall at 48 km/h. The car seat must resist being damaged in order to be approved for public use.
- Buckle release testing measures if the seat buckle is able to come undone after the collision in the acceleration shed.
- Energy-absorbing material testing measures the shock absorption capabilities of the padding on the child seat. Cushions are included in a car seat to further protect a child in the case of a car accident requiring a Toronto personal injury lawyer.
- Inversion testing involves testing the car seat in an aircraft by performing a 360 degree roll on the seat. If the car seat can withstand being rolled completely upside down, it can then meet the conditions for approval.
Common Mistakes People Make when Using Car Seats Incorrectly
Many consumers incorrectly install car seats, which can lead to catastrophic car accident injuries. It is best to ensure the car seat has been installed properly by a professional. At Li’l Niblets, a Toronto baby shop, the salespeople are professionally trained to help install car seats to ensure maximal safety.
The most common mistake is using seatbelts in the car seat system. It is also not recommended to use both the seatbelt and the Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system. LATCH was popularized in the early 2000’s as a new and safe system to anchor car seats into the vehicle effectively. LATCH works independently from the seatbelt, and the two should never be used simultaneously. Improper use of the car seat can make a claim by a Toronto personal injury lawyer more difficult to obtain, so it is necessary to know how to install the merchandise properly.
Purchasing the Proper Car Seat
It is essential to purchase the correct car seat for maximal safety, and certain precautions must be taken prior to buying the best option. Always make sure to buy the car seat suited to the correct weight and age of your child. Booster seats should only be used for children that have reached 40 pounds and are approaching five years old. Infants must have a rear-facing seat. It is also recently recommended that children sit in a rear-facing position even up to three years old. Studies show that 1,000 children might’ve avoided injury over the last 15 years if their seats had been rear-facing.
Sources
http://www.parenting.com/gallery/car-seat-laws-requirements-installation?page=2
https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-programs-regulations-research-compliance-877.htm
http://www.seatcheck.org/tips_latch.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/rear-facing-car-seats-safer-for-kids-to-age-2-1.995096
http://www.lilniblets.com/