Mistakes parents make in dealing with child car seats

“We were only going to the grocery store ... .”

“He hates to ride in his car seat, so just this once I didn't make him ... .”

“She was having a meltdown, so I took her out of her seat for a minute to calm her down.”

Traffic safety experts hear these words all too often from distraught parents after tragedy has struck. Remember, a one-time lapse in consistent car seat use can result in a lifetime of regret.

Learn the right way to install your child’s car seat and see what common errors to avoid. The Boys & Girls Club is the child passenger safety inspection station in Hill County. The club gladly accepts appointments for the certified technicians to educate parents and caregivers about the proper way to install their child’s car seat. Car seat checkup events are also held throughout the year.

The next inspection station event is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 20, which is National Seat Check Saturday, from 1 to 3 p.m. We will hold the event at the Great Northern Fairground during Festival Days.

Using a car seat consistently and correctly is the law in all 50 states. Montana law requires that children ride in a car seat until they are 6 years of age and 60 pounds. Failure to comply is punishable by a fine of not more than $100. Best practice recommends that youngsters continue to ride in a booster seat until they are 4-foot, 9-inches tall, as that is when the vehicle’s adult seatbelt fits them more securely.

Most of all, children should never ride in the front seat under the age of 13. There's good reason for that. Every year, tens of thousands of children are injured in car crashes, and about a thousand are killed. In fact, car crashes are by far the leading cause of death for American children. Properly installed car seats dramatically reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a collision.

Using an old or secondhand car seat may seem like a bargain, but it could cost a child’s life. Not only are used seats unlikely to come with the manufacturer's instructions (vital for correct installation), but they could be missing important parts, have been involved a crash (even unseen damage can affect the seat's functioning), fall short of current safety standards, or have been recalled due to faulty design. Moreover, plastic gets brittle as it gets older, so a seat that's too old could break in a crash. In addition, to avoid the dangers of aging plastic, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. recommends sticking with car seats that are ideally less than five years old and definitely less than 10 years old. An expiration date is usually stamped somewhere on the seat.

If you need a car seat or education on how to properly install one, please contact your Hill County Buckle Up Montana Coalition Coordinator, Mary Owens at 265-6206, ext. 301, for further details and to schedule an appointment.