Car Seat Facts Day 2

[jkrew]

NO after market products! If it does not come with your seat don't use it! Why? First off read your manual (remember the number 1 rule of car seat safety?) Car seat manufacturers prohibit the use of aftermarket products with their seats. If it didn't come with your seat then it has not been crash tested with your seat. Even if the packaging on the product claims it is tested it is not tested to the same specifications as your car seat, nor is it crash tested with every seat. Use one and you are essentially turning your child into a crash test dummy.

After market products include, car seat protectors, infant inserts, head pillows, homemade covers, ect. Head pillow are dangerous because in the event of an accident they can slide down pushing the child's head to the chest which will close off the soft airway of an infant. Many infant seats do come with their own inserts and pillows, these are safe as they have been tested with the seat. After market insertsadd bulk to the seat which can compress leaving slack in the harness. Car seat protectors can give the illusion of a tight install. Homemade and after market covers can be dangerous because 1. they don't have the fire retardant on them, 2. it has not been tested with the seat, it may be lighter or bulkier than the cover that comes with the seat, you don't want to add padding!

One last thing for today; no bulky clothing including snowsuits and heavy winter coats. A lighweight fleece coat is ok. Why no coat? The bulk. You will not be able to get the harness tight enough to accomidate for the bulk, it will compress in an accident leaving the harness loose and the child can actually be ejected from the car seat.

Everything I have just said is listed in car seat manuals.

~Child Passenger Safety Candidate