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When you’re planning for a trip that includes a flight, it seems that there are 101 things to worry about.  Well, here are numbers 102 and 103:  Will your car seat fly and do you really need it?  Unfortunately, there’s no simple yes or no answer to those questions. 

A car seat that has FAA certification label is approved for airplane use, and most car and infant seats are certified for flight.  Did you notice that word in italics?  That might be your predicament.  What’s important is to find out right now, before you’re standing at the check-in counter, if your car seat will fit in the allotted space.  Unless you’re flying first class (where seat bases are a lot wider), a seat in economy class gives you only so much space and a car seat that is wider than 16” is just not going to fit.  Heck, some people can’t even fit their own derrière in the seats in economy.

If you’ve checked your car seat instruction manual and found that your seat is good to go (literally and figuratively), the next step is to buy a ticket for your child.  It’s true that some airlines don’t charge for infants, except for a nominal fee (they never give anything away for free, do they?), but without a proper ticket, you’ve no assurance that a seat will be available for your child.  And that nominal fee does not entitle your child to a seat, by the way, it just gives you the right to hold your child in your arms; that’s certainly not the safest environment, and definitely not the most comfortable (for either of you). 

One final consideration:  You wouldn’t think of driving around town with your child out of his car seat, would you, or affordable auto insurance?  Then how can you even consider it 33,000 feet above the ground?

On the bottom of your infant car seat or convertible car seat, you’ve probably seen a funny looking metal thing – kind of looks like a broken buckle from Santa’s belt – attached to the underside of the seat.  That is a locking clip, and you may or may not need it in your car, but even if you don’t need it, don’t lose it.  It may, one of these days, come in very handy.

 Most cars don’t require the use of a locking clip – for example if your car employs the LATCH system or only has a lap-belt (common in the middle seat).  But if you’ve got a shoulder/lap belt combination that retracts freely (until a crash occurs, that is), you’ll need to hold the shoulder and the lap portion of the seatbelt tightly together.  The locking clip positions your car seat, locking it into place before a crash activates the retractor function of your seatbelt.

 After you’ve positioned the car seat in place (infant seats or convertible seats, but NOT booster seats), and buckled it up, you want to put your knee into the seat and put the weight of your body into it.  Pull hard on the shoulder strap so that the lap belt tightens up; at an inch from the seat belt latch, grab the shoulder and lap belt portions together, and use the locking clip to hold them together.  Give the seat a good hard yank.  Does it move more than an inch?  Yes?  Then remove the clip and try again, tighter this time.  No?  Congratulations, you’ve cinched it!

Tip: Keeping your children safe is your number one priority. Would it not also be a bonus to couple this with affordable auto insurance?

New cars come with some excellent add-ons and options, but an integrated child seat is one of the most ingenious.  But, just as you might bypass the option of a heated driver’s side seat because you live in a warm climate, you might want to consider the pros and cons of an integrated child seat versus a stand-alone child seat.

Pros: 

• You don’t have to worry about improper installation – though you still have to worry about incorrect usage.  
• It’s always there, ready for any trip.  

Cons: 

• You can’t remove the seat in an emergency, or for transferring to another car.  
• Integrated seats only face forward, and are not intended for children younger than 1; babies will still need a separate infant seat.  
• Not all integrated car seats offer side impact protection.
• Harnessess can be difficult to manipulate or tighten, and smaller children will not be as well protected. 
• The harnesses in some integrated seats do not have height adjustments, meaning that the straps will ride low lower on a taller child’s shoulder, thus not providing adequate protection.

All integrated child seats meet Federal standards for safety, but there are also two other considerations that may be near as important as safety:  Cost to you and comfort to your child.  Those issues are for you to decide.

Tip: Keeping your children safe is your number one priority. Would it not also be a bonus to couple this with affordable auto insurance?

Installing a car seat is a tricky proposition, and unfortunately, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), you’ve probably installed it wrong.  According to recent statistics, 80% of all car seats are either installed incorrectly or improperly used, and that accounts for the sad fact that the number one killer of children below the age of 14 is vehicle-involved crashes. 

There are some basic “rules” for installing any car seat in any car, and it helps to keep them in mind.

1. Nothing should come between your car seat and the seat of your car that could interfere with the installation; you should have direct access to seat belts or latches.  You can buy special padding that protects your seats, but hold onto your receipt, just in case.
2. Always, always, always put a child in the back seat.  If it can’t be helped for some (desperate/exceptional) reason, then only if there is no passenger seat airbag.  If there is one, find another ride or forego this trip.  It’s that important.
3. Make sure that your infant car seat is properly adjusted; there should be a level gauge on the side – the little ball needs to fall in the green.
4. Once you’ve got the seat belt tightened or latched down, you shouldn’t be able to move it more than 1” in any direction.  Go on and give it a good hard shake (take the baby out first, of course!). 

Finally, your car comes with an instruction manual.  Your car seat comes with an instruction manual.  Occasionally, you will read conflicting information about the proper installation of your car seat.  “Who trumps whom?” you might wonder.  Follow the instructions provided by your child car seat manufacturer.  When in doubt, call the toll-free customer service hot-line and ask for help. Keep that precious bundle of joy safe by checking out affordable auto insurance.

Car seats protect your child from serious injury or death in the event of a car accident.  Of that, there can be no doubt; statistics prove it.  But how do you reconcile the need for safety with an older child – a tweener, for example – who has outgrown a traditional car seat, and thinks that she’s now “too big” for her “babyish” booster seat?  You’re probably wondering that yourself, but have niggling doubts that she may still be too young or too small for regular seat belts.  A tween may be ready to outgrow a booster seat and use the car’s factory installed seat belts, but only if you can answer yes to all of these 5 important questions.

First thing’s first, have your tween sit down in the seat (back seat, please) and buckle up, using the shoulder/lap belt.  Done?  Good, now let’s see how she’s scored?

1. Is your child’s back flush against the seat?  Yes?  Move on to question #2.
2. Do your child’s knees bend normally at the seat’s edge?  Yes?  Move on to question #3.
3. Does the seat belt cross her shoulder, coming down between her neck and her arm?  Yes?  Move on to question #4.
4. Does the lap portion of the belt touch the top of her thighs?  Yes?  Move on to question #5.
5. Can your tween stay in this position for the entire trip?  Yes?  Are you sure?  This is the make or break question… what if you had a 4-hour drive, could she remain comfortable like this for the whole ride?  Still, yes?  Congratulations!  Your tween is ready to move out of a booster seat.

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, it simply means that your child doesn’t have the physical stature needed to forego her booster seat.  Don’t let her be discouraged because she didn’t “pass” this test, this time – growth spurts happen overnight.  Really, this is a win-win test, because the bottom line is your precious tween stays safe. And, it will not be long before your tween becomes a teen driver and you will be looking for car insurance for teenagers.

Car seats work best when the straps are tight up against the body. But what happens when there are layers and layers of clothes and coats between your child and the car seat straps? The straps are too tight and uncomfortable and your child complains and you obligingly loosen them up a bit. That doesn’t give your child the protection they need. Winter is coming, but you don’t have to sacrifice your child’s comfort for safety if you employ these tricks:

Infant Seats:

Get an aftermarket infant seat cover for your baby who is still in a rear-facing infant seat. These amazingly useful products, which come in all different types of fabric for different types of weather, keep your baby warm and snug, and are easily adjusted. It’s a perfect solution for the mad dash between the car and the house or the shopping mall. And you won’t have to wake up a sleeping baby by trying to remove his or her winter coat when you go into an overheated environment, which is, in and of itself, a huge bonus.

Convertible Seats or Booster Seats:

Bigger kids in forward facing car seats or booster seats pose a bit of a challenge – especially if they’re wearing bulky winter jackets or coats – but it’s not insurmountable. Have your child sit in his seat without a coat so that you can be sure that the straps are tight. Then have him put the jacket or coat on and leave it unzipped. Once in the car seat, fix the straps as you normally would and then have your child zip up his jacket over the straps.

Voila! Your baby or child will stay warm and cozy and still be perfectly protected.

Tip: The safety of your children is number one and you will pay for a top of the line product to ensure this. We can save you a few dollars by offering cheap auto insurance.

Do your car and your car seat get along? Is the relationship nice and tight, with little give and take? Or is loose and shaky and basically all over the place? You may believe you have the perfect car, and the perfect car seat, but perfection doesn’t promise compatibility. It may take some effort to become a perfect couple; on the other hand, it also might not work out at all.

The sad truth is not every car seat works in every car, and vice versa. Your back seat may be too tight to fit a larger, convertible-styled car seat. And the fit is very important. The less “give” on the seat the better the protection the seat affords.

Several websites have a compatibility database which will allow you to narrow down your choices. But before you buy your baby’s car seat, take one out to your own car for a test run; most of the larger baby super stores will allow you take a demo model out to your car for just this purpose. Your goal is to buy a seat based on how easy it is to install the seat – which may go in and out of your car several times during the course of a day – as well as how easy it is to get your baby or child properly secured in it.

Not sure if your car seat is installed correctly? Ask if the baby store employs a certified car seat technician, or find out when they’ll hold their next car seat inspection. Many police and fire departments, as well as some car dealerships, also offer this invaluable, free service. The key words here: Invaluable and free. Definitely worth looking into. The key words here:  Invaluable and free.  Definitely worth looking into.And just a step up from invaluable and free, it is worth your while to check out afforable auto insurance.

So, which car seat should you buy?  Well, how much money you got?  Just kidding… money is not and should not be the single deciding factor on which car seat you eventually buy for your child.  You can alleviate your budget by finding cheap auto insurance.The generally accepted standard is that you buy a child restraint system that first fits your child and your car, and then, fits into your budget.  The truth is, despite all the hype from the car seat manufacturers, there is no single perfect car seat.  And as long as a car seat meets government safety standards and is certified as such (look for the label) it’s deemed safe.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe for your child.

If you can afford a child car seat with all the bells and whistles AND it works in your vehicle, that’s great.  Your child will ride in style and be protected; you couldn’t ask for more.  “But,” you’re probably wondering, “is there one single thing you should consider in any car seat, even if your budget is small?” 

The simple answer is:  Yes!   And it’s the 5-point harness system.  With a 5-point system, the straps go over your child’s shoulders and around his or her waist to clip at the crotch.  Studies confirm that a 5-point system provides significantly better protection than shoulder-only straps which pose a risk of the child being ejected in a crash.

Granted, you want to keep a wary eye on your newborn, and it’s nearly impossible to do that if the baby is facing backwards in his or her infant seat.  You must resist the temptation to turn that seat around; it is in your baby’s best interests.  Until a child has celebrated his or her first birthday and weighs a minimum of 20 lbs, the American Academy of Pediatrics advises that it’s best that they remain rear facing. 

As you may have noticed (or experienced!), babies have pretty big heads and pretty fragile necks.  It will be months before they can hold their heads up or have good control of their neck muscles.  In the event of a car crash, if a baby is facing forward there’s a much higher risk that the baby’s spinal cord will be damaged.  Just think about how hard your own head jerks forward when you have to come to a sudden stop… and you’ve got strong neck muscles!  Babies don’t have that, and in a very common frontal car crash, the bones in a baby’s neck could actually separate. 

If your baby weighs more than the recommended 20 lb. threshold for an infant car seat, or is older than one year in age, you may think it’s alright to switch to the forward facing car seat.  That’s still not a good idea.  According to a 2008 article published in Pediatrics, a professional journal, three out of four children are less likely to be severely injured or killed if they remain in a rear facing car seat until they are at least two years old.  If your child reaches the weight limit for an infant seat, then switch to a rear-facing convertible.  Your child will get the same protection, and (provided you get yourself a rear-facing child seat mirror) you’ll get peace of mind.

Tip: Keeping your children safe is your number one priority. Would it not also be a bonus to couple this with affordable auto insurance?

Ask your mother (or grandmother) what they used to do with a baby in the “olden days” and she’ll likely tell you how she used to hold you in her arms while sitting in the passenger or back seat (unbelted, of course, and probably while smoking an unfiltered menthol cigarette).   Or, if she was the driver, how she’d lay you down next to her on the bench seat and keep one hand on the wheel and the other on your back (your were always face down) to protect you from rolling off. 

However many children there were in a family, that’s how many sat in the back seat.  And it didn’t matter if there were two or three (or no) lap belts in the back, hardly anyone used them anyway.  Of course, if you had a station wagon (and most families did), then you could comfortably (not necessarily, safely) plunk a couple of kids (usually the oldest ones – the lucky dogs) into the back.  Of course, you’d also have the door window rolled all the way down, with strict instructions NOT to stick your head out the window (a rule that was quickly forgotten, once you hit the highway).

If you were really lucky, you got to ride shotgun, in the passenger seat.  Your mom would tell you not to touch anything (she meant the radio), but to hold on (to what, you wondered?) and you’d grab the door handle and discover (as you tumbled to the pavement) that your mom forgot to lock the door. 

Your mother or grandmother might even still cling to the notion that car seats are a waste of time and money – after all, you came out (relatively) unscathed (except for that nervous twitch you get when you see a Ford Fairlane) right?  Those were the days, weren’t they?  It’s amazing that anyone survived ‘em.

Tip: If you’d like to have a bit more cash to put toward the safest car seat possible, why not compare discount auto insurance quotes and possibly save some money over your current rates.