As a mother of 4 and grandmother of 3, I have literally buckled kiddos into a car seat thousands of times! That's a lot! I had no clue that those car seats, that were carrying my sweet babies, were probably installed incorrectly. 50% of car seats and booster seats, on the road today, are installed improperly. Scary!
So, how do we keep our children safe? Here's a few tips!
1) Schedule a car seat safety check. Most checks are being conducted virtually, via Zoom. You don't even have to leave home so no excuses! Here in Maryland, you can go visit the Maryland KISS website to schedule your appointment.
2) Maryland Infant/Toddler Car Seat Law - Maryland law requires that children under 8 years old and shorter than 4’9” travel in a secure child restraint system. For children under 2 years old, this system would the rear-facing seat. You should always keep your children in the rear-facing as long as they fall within the height and weight limit of the seat announced by the seat manufacturer. Some newer rear-facing car seats are designed to accommodate children until they are 40 pounds.
3) Maryland Forward Facing Car Seat Law - When a child exceeds the rear-facing seat’s height and weight limit, you can graduate them to forward-facing. It’s worth noting that forward-facing seat is a step back in terms of safety.
4) When can my child sit in the front seat in Maryland? - Maryland law doesn’t stop children from traveling in the front seat. However, you can’t use the front seat with the rear-facing seat with the airbags activated. It can prove fatal for the children.
5) Leaving Child in Car Law in Maryland - It is illegal to leave a child younger than 8 years in a vehicle unattended.
Remember, the safest car seat is the one that is properly installed – and correctly used – each and every time you or anyone else takes your baby out for a ride!