Refer to your car’s manual to learn of the steps for enabling your car’s childproof locks, or contact your car’s manufacturer for more information on having these types of locks installed. If your car does not have automatic childproof locks, place your child in the middle of the back seat where they cannot reach the door locks. As long as the middle seat has a 3-point seat belt, it is actually a much safer place for your child’s car seat than on the sides of the back seat. [2] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
If you’re not sure where your window locks are located, check your vehicle’s owner manual. If you’re unsure if your car has window locks, you can always reach out to the manufacturer. If your car has manual windows, you likely won’t have window locks. You can take your car to an auto shop to see if specialty security devices are available, but for the most part, there are limited security features for manual windows.
A three-point seat belt is a seat belt that crosses over the child’s shoulder, as well as their lap. In most newer vehicles, all seats have three-point belts except perhaps the back middle seat. Every child should have their own seat belt. Never share seatbelts.
If an item can’t be secured in the back seat, move it to the front passenger seat or otherwise to the trunk or hatch of your car.
Sharp items should be stored in a closed location that your child can’t reach, such as the glove compartment or trunk.
Even if medications are prescriptions for your child, you should keep them out-of-reach to ensure that they don’t ingest it when they’re not supposed to.
This also helps reduce the risk of getting extremities caught in unfavorable areas. Fasten any seatbelts that are not actively in use. This keeps your child from playing around in them and getting tangled up.
Avoid eating in the car in front of your kids, too, even if the car is parked. Modeling proper safety behavior is just as important as imposing rules. If your child must absolutely eat in the car for medical reasons, minimize the risk by making sure there is someone in the back of the car to supervise your child and help clean up spilled food, or pull over so that you can watch your child yourself.
In many places, it is illegal to leave a young child in the car unattended. Take your child with you whenever you have to exit the car.
Get into the habit of checking the back seat of your car every time to avoid accidentally leaving your child behind in a locked car. You can purchase a backseat baby alarm to remind you to do this. Never leave your keys in your car, even when it’s parked. Keys can be dangerous for your child, and unattended keys are a security risk for you, your child, and your car.
Some children with conditions that stunt or delay physical development may need to stay in a rear-facing car seat past age 2. Talk to your child’s pediatrician to make sure your child is safe to move to a forward-facing seat.
If you can’t get a good fit from the middle seat or if your middle seat doesn’t have a 3-point seat belt, position the car seat in vehicle seat that provides the best fit.
The vehicle’s manual should show you how to deactivate the airbags. If you can’t find that information in the manual, online tutorials may also be useful.
Once secured, the seat shouldn’t move more than 1 inch (2. 5 cm) from side to side or front to back. Check to see if there is a car seat fitting location in your area. These are often available at fire departments and they will check to see if your car seat is properly installed.
Refer to the child car seat user manual to verify the proper seat belt path. Attend a local car seat workshop if you are unsure about the proper car seat placement and seat belt configuration. You can often find these workshops at local emergency service centers or fire departments.
