The Britax Roundabout, a popular convertible car seat.

All About Car Seats

There are three main types of car seats on the market today. First, the infant car seat is designed for the youngest of children, up to 20 or 22 pounds. Most of these seats have two parts, the base which stays strapped in to the vehicle's safety belt system and the carrier which snaps out and allows the baby to be carried without unfastening the infant from the harness (very important if Baby has finally fallen asleep!) The infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing, where the infant faces the rear of the vehicle. It is important for infants to be seated rear facing for the first year of life, until the muscles of the neck are strong enough to withstand the force an accident could impose on them.

A second type of car seat is called the convertible seat, and is designed for newborns through toddlers, or up until 40 pounds. This seat is designed to be used rear-facing for the first year of life, or up until the weight restrictions (usually 30 pounds). After this, the seat can face forward until the child reaches the upper weight limit, usually 40 pounds, although some car seats can be used longer. The most popular type of harness system for infants and toddlers is the five-point system, where the child is clipped by a series of three clips designed to evenly disperse the force of impact. The five-point system is highly recommended, although other systems (such as the three-point or overhead bar) may still be available.

After the child graduates from the convertible seat, it's time for a booster seat. These seats no longer use a separate harness system, the child and seat are both strapped directly into the vehicle's seat belt. The booster is designed to raise the child up in the seat so the vehicle's harness can function correctly. Booster seats should be used until the child is 80 pounds, at which time the child will be ready for the use of the regular seat belt. While some boosters are rated for children as light as 30 pounds, it is important to keep children in the 5-point restraint systems for as long as possible.

Child Passenger Safety

Child Passenger Safety. Table of Contents. -Objectives. OBJECTIVE ... 1) OHS Fitting Station - At Dover DMV, Rt ... system in vehicles consists of three little bars to attach the ... the ...

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Berkeley Parents Network: Carseats and Travel

...seats) then the car seat must be placed next to the window. If you are sitting in a widebody , then (three ... seats on a recent flight across...

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Motorhomes Glossary

... where two settees face across a table Dormobile ... and diagonal: Preferred three-point seat belt as ... a term hijacked by the car trade to describe their ... to a fitting to one or ...

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Car Seats

By Cathy Morris. Placer County (CA) Buckle Up Baby Car Seat Project Coordinator. Vehicle crashes are the number one preventable cause of unintentional death and injury to children. ... car ...

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Car Seats and Safety

... children under three years, an appropriate ... across the chest and thighs (one make also has an adjustable seat width) FIRST STAGE CAR SEATS ... standard fitting with your car seat, ...

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Child Car Seats : RoSPA : Choosing and Using Child Seats : Common...

...of the most common fitting ... Rest Properly on Car Seat The shape of car seats varies ... belt buckle lies across the ... front and a...

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Car Seats Installation guides

Helpful carseat installation guide and car seat fitting tips. ... car seats we carry ... to grade three) ... fitting stations") are appearing in communities all across the United ...

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UK Department for Transport | THINK! Road Safety - Welcome to the THIN

... a copy of the fitting instructions in ... seat belt. Booster seats or cushions are ... seat belt safely across both their chest ... setting off in the car, even on the ... Children ...

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Car-Seat.Org Child Passenger Safety Forums - three across car seats

...a list of vehicles that can fit three car seats across one bench seat? Report this post.....would probably work for your situation. Fitting 3 across was a priority for us, ...

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I don't feel good - The Journals

...take all three of them to Wal-mart. That went better than I'd expected. The big pain was fitting three car seats ... the garbage strewn across...

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