How to install a child seat in a car - equipment that Vietnamese people have not paid attention to

Most Vietnamese people still let children sit unsafely in car seats, which are designed and sized for adults.

Car seats are designed for adults, but many children use them. However, in reality, few parents care about how to let their children sit safely in the car. At the very least, they must wear a seat belt and have a separate seat suitable for the child's height.

Install separate seat

You cannot let your baby sit in an adult chair because the size of the chair is much larger than your body. The seat belt position is also not effective because it will be across the baby's face or over the head. Therefore, you must install a separate seat for your child.

Check seat belts in individual seats

The seat belt on a child seat is not the 3-point diagonal type like a car seat, but is worn evenly across both shoulders and the chest. To check, there are two methods called the "pinch test" and the "inch test".

Pinch test is a way to check if the seat belt is tight enough for the child by trying to grab the seat belt at the shoulder. If you can grab it, it is not tight enough, so tighten it until you can't grab it.

Inch test is a way to check if the seat is fixed, by putting your hand behind and under the small seat, try to move it, if it still moves, you should tighten it so that the passenger seat is firmly attached to the car seat.

Do not place towels or clothes between the baby's back and the chair.

Using small pillows, towels, or thin clothes to fill the gap between the baby's back and the chair does not help keep the baby more securely in the chair. On the contrary, it makes the back hot quickly and is not safe in case of a collision because the baby cannot fit neatly in the chair space.

Do not install separate seats when the cabin is hot.

If you park your car in the sun for a long time in the summer, do not install a separate child seat immediately. Use the air conditioning system to cool the interior, and check that metal or plastic objects that come into direct contact with your baby's skin are cool before installing.

Tighten up what's loose

This step is not only safe for children but also for adults in the car. Before setting off, tighten or re-fasten any loose connections to ensure everything works properly in case of a collision.

How to install a baby car seat properly

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): every 4 carsbaby car seat3 of them were installed incorrectly. This directly affects your child's safety because if installed incorrectly, this safety seat will not be effective in protecting your child but will instead put your child in danger.

Here are the most important factors when installing a child car seat.

Installation location and usage orientation

Car seats should be installed in the middle seat of the back row. This is the safest position for your child. Never place your child in the front seat unless the car is a two-seater or the rear seat is cargo.

Install the car seat in the opposite direction of the vehicle's movement for children under 2 years old.

If it is necessary to let the child sit in the front right next to the steering wheel, parents should turn the airbag system OFF.

Another factor that parents need to pay attention to is the installation direction of thebaby car seat. Advice from safety experts as well as manufacturers is that parents should install the car seat so that the baby sits facing away from the direction of the vehicle's movement and parents should maintain this position until the baby is 2 years old to ensure the baby's safety.

Parents don't worry that your baby will be bored if sitting in the back alone. Talking to your baby or giving them toys is a great idea.

Tips for parents when installing car seats for children

Make sure you understand how to install your child's car seat by reading the instructions that come with it. If the information is unclear, parents should call the manufacturer or distributor for assistance.

Use a tether system if possible. All child safety seats and vehicles manufactured after 2002 must be compatible with the LATCH system, which stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (some vehicles manufactured from 1999 and 2002 also have this system).

Check the security of the child car seat before letting your baby use it.

The LATCH system is designed to make installing a child car seat easier and safer by attaching it directly to the vehicle seat with a latch instead of using a seat belt. All child car seats must have a five-point safety harness and a safety latch.

If you own a car without a latch system, consider adding one as a safety latch is essential to help your baby have a safe seat in the car.

If you are installing a safety seat and not using a latch, make sure the vehicle's seat belt is threaded through the correct slots and pull the belt as tight as possible, without any slack.

When installing a forward-facing car seat, make sure the seat cushion and backrest are flat. Check your owner's manual for recline angles. To push air out of the cushion, you can use your hands or, better yet, place your knees on the car seat and push down with all your body weight.

After installation, the seat should not move more than 2cm from back to front and from side to side!

If the chair is warped, you should use strong and decisive force to ensure the chair fits snugly and sits firmly on the bench.

Use car seat installation

Make sure you know how the seat's adjustment system works best. You can tighten and loosen the straps around your baby with the adjustment pins.

Adjust your posture.child car seatto make your baby feel comfortable. But if you find a gap that can fit your fingertip in the adjustment part, the system is loose and needs to be reviewed.

According to VNE