June 1st, 2007 Washington's Child Restraint Law changed to require:

• Children under 13 years old be transported in the back seat where it is practical to do so.
• Children up to their 8th birthday, unless they are 4'9" tall (which ever comes first), must ride in a child restraint. (For example a child car seat, booster seat, vest, or other product that is federally approved for use in the car.)
• The restraint system must be used correctly according to the car seat AND vehicle manufacturer's instructions.
• Vehicles equipped with lap-only seat belts are exempt from the requirement to use a booster seat for a child weighing 40 pounds or more because a booster seat must be used with the vehicle lap and shoulder belt.
• Children 8-years of age or at least 4'9" who wear a seat belt must use it correctly (never under the arm or behind the back) or continue to use a child restraint.

Always read and follow the manufacturers' instructions for both the child restraint and the vehicle.

All 50 states have laws requiring children to ride in car seats when they are passengers in a motor vehicle. To learn more about the occupant protection laws in each state you can:

• contact the state police or a local law enforcement agency in that state

• call the National Highway Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888 DASH-2-DOT

• Go to: GHSA (The Governor's Highway Safety Association)

Keep using a car booster seat until your child is about four feet nine inches tall. To see if the seat belt will fit your child, try the following test. *

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
   
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
   
3. Does the lap belt fit snugly across the top of the thighs?
   
4. Does the shoulder part of the belt come across the center of the shoulder and chest?
5. Can the child sit like this for the whole trip?

No, two people should never use one vehicle seat belt! In a crash, two people sharing one seat belt will collide violently. Buckling two persons into one seat belt could cause serious injury or even death.

• No, the shoulder belt restrains the upper body.

• Placing the shoulder part of the belt under the arm can break ribs causing them to injure internal organs.

• Putting the shoulder part of the belt behind the back not only takes away upper body protection; it keeps the seat belt system from working properly. In a crash, the lap part of the belt is tightened as the upper body moves forward pressing against (loads) the shoulder belt. Placing the shoulder belt behind the back results in a loose lap belt increasing the risk of serious injury.

• Check the vehicle owner's manual to see if the shoulder belt has an adjustable anchorage. If not, for older child passengers, choose a booster seat that will properly adjust the belt fit.

An infant in a rear facing seat or a child who is unrestrained or out of position can be seriously injured or killed by an inflating air bag. Whether or not the car has air bags, the safest place for all children who are not yet 13 years old to ride is in the rear seat. A driver air bag is stored in the center part of the steering wheel. A passenger air bag is stored in the dashboard. It may be in the flat area just below the windshield or in the area facing the passenger. All cars since model year 1998 must have driver and passenger air bags. Both air bags are required in pickup trucks, SUV's, and vans starting in the 1999 model year. Many vehicles made in the 1990's have air bags too. Many newer cars have lower-speed air bags or "dual stage" air bags. These may reduce injuries but still can be deadly for rear-facing babies and unbuckled or improperly positioned older children. Read your vehicle owner's manual. Look for a warning label on the sun visor, or for word "Air bag" or the letters "SRS", or "SIR" embossed on the dashboard.

In a crash, air bags inflate very quickly and can hit a rear-facing safety seat hard enough to kill the baby. Infants must ride in the back seat, facing the rear. Even in the back seat, do not turn your baby to face forward until he or she is at least one year of age AND weighs at least 20 pounds.

If there is no room in back and you have no alternative, a child over age one who rides forward-facing may have to occupy the front seat. Make sure the child is correctly buckled up for his or her age and size and move the vehicle seat as far back as possible. Fasten the car seat's harness snugly or if the child uses the lap and shoulder belt make sure the child does not lean toward the dashboard.

Many sports cars or pickup trucks have no back seat, or the seats are too small to install a rear-facing car seat correctly. Many recent models come with on/off switches, so the driver can safely buckle up the baby or child in the front seat. However, manufacturers are not required to put in these switches. Older trucks or sports cars with passenger air bags may not have off/on switches. In this case you may be able to get a switch installed. Visit www.nsc.org/airbag.htm.

Excerpted with permission from "Kids and Air Bags" a publication of Safe Ride News. Visit them online at www.saferidenews.com

There is no "best" child car seat. Like children, car seats come in all shapes and sizes. The "best" seat is one that fits your child, fits your car and is the one you will use AND use correctly every time your child travels. All car seats must pass the same government standards and must be crash worthy if used according to the manufacturer's directions.

Before going to a store take a few minutes to read your vehicle owner's manual. Look for any specific instructions about using a child car seat with the belt system or air bag(s) in the vehicle.

If you have a new vehicle, you may be able to use LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), the new system that attaches child car seats to the vehicle without the use of the seat belt. Look in your instruction booklet to see where to attach a tether strap on a forward-facing safety seat.

In cars made before 1996, the seat belt may require some type of special equipment (like a locking clip or replacement buckle/or special belt you obtain from your vehicle dealer) in order to secure a child car seat. If you plan to use your child's safety seat in more than one vehicle, read all vehicle manuals.

Choose a time to shop when you are not rushed. Pick a store with a return policy or a store that will let you try the seat in the car before purchasing it to check the seat's compatibility with your vehicle seating system and seat belts.

There are four "stages" a child goes through as an automobile passenger: Riding rear-facing, riding forward-facing, using a belt-positioning booster, and finally using the adult lap-only or lap and shoulder belt.

Select a child car seat or booster that is appropriate to the size and development of the child. Some seats can be used to protect a child in more than one of the "stages" listed above. For example, convertible seats are used in both the rear and forward-facing directions while some forward-facing seats with a harness become a belt-positioning booster later by removing the harness when the child reaches 40 pounds and using the vehicle lap AND shoulder belt.

• Remember, a more expensive seat does not always offer more safety. Handles, bases, deluxe padding and other such features don't make the seat a safer one.
• Each time a car seat is used, the harness must be buckled and unbuckled as well as adjusted for a snug fit. Try these two things with each seat you are interested in:
  • Buckle and unbuckle the harness. Try it five or six times on each seat that interests you. Is it easy to work the buckle mechanism? Can you see, hear, of feel it is properly secured?
  • Examine the harness. Find out how it adjusts. Then loosen and tighten the harness five or six times. Is it easy to do? Will the adjustment be as easy to reach and do when the seat is securely installed in your vehicle? It must fit snugly no matter what type of clothing your child is wearing. You should loosen the harness each time your child is removed from the seat and adjust it for a snug fit each time the seat is used.

You'll need to do these two things every time the child rides. If you don't like the way these two things work on a particular seat inside the store, you probably won't like them any better during daily use. Difficulty with adjusting and fastening the harness might mean you would not use the seat correctly or stop using the seat before your child outgrows the seat's protection.

• Infant seats -generally, these fit babies weighing 5-20 or 22 pounds who are less than 26 inches tall. They are lightweight and fit small infants better than seats designed for children 5-40 pounds and can be used to carry a sleeping baby. While the infant seat may be less expensive, "frills" like a canopy, base or deluxe fabric increase the cost without offering more safety. Advantages: most models have a carrying handle, can be used to rock the baby, attach to strollers and/or shopping carts, and may lift off a base that remains in the car.
  Disadvantages: you must purchase a bigger seat when the baby reaches approximately 20 pounds or when the baby's head is within one inch of the top of the seat.
  

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• Convertible seats - accommodate
• childre
• n between 5-40 pounds and up to approximately 40 inches. Convertible seats will have one of these types of harness systems:

  5-point (two shoulder straps, two hip straps, one crotch strap); a tray-shield (or bar attached to the seat); or a T-shield.

• Convertible seats are used rear-facing in a reclined angle for infants and then convert to an upright forward-facing direction for older children. Some convertible child car seats allow for rear-facing use (the safest way to ride) until 30-35 pounds-check the label on the seat. Advantages: require purchasing only one seat for a child from birth to approximately 40 pounds/40 inches. Disadvantages: It is not easy to remove the seat from the car and use it to carry a sleeping baby and because the seat is larger it does not fit a newborn infant as well as an infant seat does.
• A 5-point harness offers the most "grow room". It is similar to what racecar drivers and airplane pilots use.
• If selecting a convertible seat for a newborn, choose the 5-point harness. Seats with a tray-shield or T-shield don't fit a small baby's body as well. The shield may end up in front of the baby's face or across the neck. A shield may also pull the harness straps too far away from a small newborn's body.

• Forward-facing seats - are used only in the forward-facing direction for children who are at least one year of age and at least 20 pounds. Some become a belt-positioning booster seat later when the harness is removed (at 40 pounds). Then the seat is used until 80-100 pounds (depending on make and model) to properly position the vehicle's lap and shoulder belt.
  
  

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• Booster seats - must always be used with a shoulder and lap belt. They are for older children who have outgrown their forward-facing child car seat but who are not yet poundsfour feet nine inches tall. Use a forward-facing seat with a harness for as long as possible (until your child outgrows it) because a forward-facing seat offers more support and protection than a booster.
  

• There are two types of booster seats:
  those with a high back and those with no back. Consider the design of your vehicle seat when making a selection.
  If your child sits in a captain's chair or bench seat with a head restraint then a backless booster may be a good choice. Some no back boosters have a strap or clip that adjusts the shoulder part of the belt properly on the child's shoulder.
  If your vehicle seat back is low, select a high-back booster to offer important whiplash protection.

For more information on choosing and using booster seats check out the Booster Seat Website www.booster seat.org

Decide if you want an infant seat or a convertible child car seat. (What types of seats are there?)

• When choosing a convertible seat for an infant, select only a seat with a 5-point harness rather than a model having a tray shield or T-shield. A small baby's face or neck will be too close to the shield increasing the risk of injury. Choose a model whose label specifies that is tested to 30 or more pounds in the rear-facing direction. Some convertible seats require a child be turned forward-facing at 20-22 pounds and are unsuitable for younger, heavier, babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children ride rear-facing to at least one year of age AND at least 20 pounds, then remain rear-facing until the highest rear-facing weight level (see seat label).

Rear-facing seats are designed to spread crash forces over the baby's back-the strongest part of the baby's body. Child car seats are tested in frontal crashes-which usually are more violent and happen at higher speeds. In this type of crash or even a sudden stop, the baby's body is pressed against the padding of the seat, distributing the crash forces along the back - the strongest part of the baby's body.

A snugly adjusted harness is important because, in a crash, it holds the baby down and into the seat. A baby's head is disproportionately large for the body and the baby's bones have not fully hardened. In a 30 mile-per-hour crash into an immovable object, a 10-pound baby would weigh approximately 300 pounds (body weight multiplied by the speed of the vehicle)! If a baby is placed forward-facing too soon, during a crash, the the force on baby's heavy head can stretch the ligaments of the spinal column and spinal cord too much resulting in severe head injury or paraplegia.

An infant should ride rear-facing, the most protective way to ride, until the baby is at least one year of age AND at least 20 pounds.

If a baby outgrows the small infant seat before one year of age, move the baby into a rear-facing convertible seat. Many convertible seats sold today allow a child to ride rear-facing (the most protective way to ride) until 30 or more pounds. Use caution when choosing a convertible seat for a young, heavier, baby. Not all convertible seat models are tested and approved for rear-facing use beyond 20-22 pounds. Read the labels on the car seat and the instruction booklet. If you have questions about a certain model, contact the manufacturer or call the Safety Restraint Coalition at 1-800-282-5587.

An infant seat is outgrown when the baby reaches the top weight listed on the seat's label. For most models this is around 20-22 pounds.

• Do not exceed the weight limit specified on the seat's label.
• Your baby has outgrown the seat when there is no longer at least one inch of padding and seat back above the baby's head.
• Straps should be at or below the shoulders when riding rear-facing. Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions that come with the seat.
• If the baby is tall but weighs less than 20 pounds or is less than one year of age, move the baby into a convertible seat that will allow the baby to remain rear-facing until at least the first birthday AND at least 20 pounds. Read the manufacturer's instructions and check the label to assure that the seat you want to use is approved for rear-facing use to at least 30 pounds. Once the child is at least one year of age AND at least 20 pounds you may (but are not required to) turn the child to the forward-facing direction. Read and follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper installation and use. Remember that riding rear-facing offers the best protection for your baby's neck and spine.

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Look carefully at the sizes of various child car seats and compare them to the amount of room you have in your car. Will the model(s) you like fit in your car? One model may fit better than another.

If possible, ask the store if you can try the seat in your car before you purchase it. Be sure to check the fit of a convertible seat in both the rear-facing and forward-facing positions. Read and follow the car seat instruction booklet. When checking the fit of the seat in your car, check to see if you can:

• Put the vehicle seat belt correctly around or through the seat
• Buckle AND adjust the harness or shield easily
• Raise the tray shield without hitting the ceiling of the car
• Get a tight fit. The seat should move no more than one inch forward and back or side-to-side when grasped near where the seat belt goes through.

• The child car seat moves more than one inch from side to side on the vehicle seat cushion when pushed and pulled near where the seat belt goes through the child car seat.
• The vehicle seat belt stays loose, doesn't lock or loosens after it's been tightened.
• More than 20 percent of the seat hangs over the edge of the vehicle seat .
• Your vehicle seat does not face forward (faces the side or rear of the car).
• A newborn's head tips forward, with baby's chin on chest.

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• Convertible seats fit children 5 - 40 pounds. If your child is less than one year of age, carefully read the instruction booklet and the labels on the side of the seat. Choose a seat whose label specifies it has been tested for rear-facing use to 30 or more pounds. Some convertible seats require a child be turned forward-facing at 20 pounds and are unsuitable for larger, heavier babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends children ride rear-facing to at least one year of age AND at least 20 pounds. For optimal protection, the AAP recommends babies ride rear-facing in a convertible seat up to the highest rear-facing weight limit of the seat.

• Height of the top harness strap slots varies from one model to another. When riding forward-facing, the harness straps need to be in the reinforced slots and at or above the child's shoulders. Is there enough grow room? In some seats, ONLY the top-most slots may be used when the seat is forward-facing. Read and follow the directions in the manufacturer's instruction booklet.

• As your child grows they must still fit behind the tray style shields. Look for models with an adjustable shield that allows for grow room and for winter clothing.

A forward-facing seat with a harness is outgrown when ONE of the following three things happens:

1. The child weighs 40 pounds. Do not exceed the weight limit specified on the seat's label.
2. The top of a child's ears comes above the back of the child car seat. The seat shell and pad is needed behind the child's head provide whiplash protection.
3. The harness straps are no longer at or above the shoulders.

• If the child has outgrown a convertible seat, but weighs less than 40 pounds, using a "forward-facing only" seat with a harness (sometimes called a combination seat) provides best protection.
  If the child is tall and slim, pay particular attention to the height of the highest set of slots for the harness. This "seated height" (fanny-to-top-of-shoulder) varies greatly among car seat models. Choose a model that will give the child enough "grow room".
  On many models of "forward-facing only" seats, the harness can be removed and the seat becomes a belt-positioning booster seat for use in vehicles with lap and shoulder belts.

• If the child weighs 40 or more pounds, a belt-positioning booster seat should be used to properly position the adult lap and shoulder belt. A booster seat gives a child an artificial set of adult-size hip bones to position the lap part of the belt low on the hips keeping it off the abdomen; and routes the shoulder part of the belt properly across the center of the chest and shoulder.

Correct	Incorrect

Image provided by Ford Motor Company Boost America Program

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No! In a crash, children this size can be seriously injured by an adult lap and shoulder belt that does not fit properly. When the child's legs are not yet long enough to bend over the edge of the seat, the child slouches so he/she can be comfortable. When the child slouches, the lap part of the seat belt slides up onto the soft part of their abdomen. In a crash, a seat belt that is not on the hip bones causes serious injuries such as a ruptured spleen, perforated intestine, or a fractured spine. These injuries are so common that Emergency Department doctors call them "seat belt syndrome".

Among other things, if the shoulder part of the belt is placed behind the child's back or under the arm, head injuries can result or the shoulder part of the belt can break ribs, puncturing internal organs. Children who are too small for a seat belt can, and have, slipped out from the lap/shoulder belt, been ejected from the vehicle in a crash and been killed.

Children 40-80 pounds and 4-8 years old need the protection of a belt-positioning booster seat until they are about 4 feet nine inches tall or can pass the 5-Step Test.

• A booster seat lifts the child up and into the adult seat belt to properly position it on the child's smaller body. It gives a young child a set of adult-sized "artificial hips" that keep the lap part of the seat belt off the soft tissue of the abdomen. The design of a booster seat places the lap belt low on the hips touching the tops of the thighs properly and positions the shoulder belt across the center of the chest and shoulder.
• A booster gives the child a seat that allows the child's legs to bend comfortably so the child doesn't need to slouch for comfort.
• A strap, belt guide, or clip allows the shoulder part of the belt to be adjusted properly at shoulder level as the child grows.
• Highback booster seats can also offer support so sleeping children are less likely to fall out from underneath the shoulder belt.
• The added height allows the child to see out the window like an adult can.
• Remember that the booster just sits on the vehicle seat and is not fastened down when the child climbs out. Teach your child to re-buckle the seat belt around the booster so it cannot strike other passengers in a crash or sudden stop.

No! A booster seat requires both the shoulder AND the lap belt. Even though the child will not have upper body protection, a properly worn lap belt is still better than being unrestrained. Teach you child to keep and wear the lap part of the belt down low on the hips, not up on the tummy.

Other options:

1. Purchase and install a shoulder belt retrofit kit if one is available from the manufacturer of your vehicle. Retrofitting a shoulder belt will offer the best protection not just to booster seat age children, but also to anyone who might ride in that seating position. Not all vehicles can be retrofitted and the parts and service departments of many dealerships may not be aware that the manufacturer at one time made a kit specifically for a given year and model of vehicle.
   In Washington State call the Safety Restraint Coalition at (425) 828-8975 or 1-800-282-5587 to learn more. If you live outside Washington State, you can call the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-DASH-2-DOT to learn more.
2. EZ-On manufactures the Y-Harness and EZ-On Vest. Children weighing more than 40 pounds can use them in vehicles with a lap-only belt. Crash tested, each meets federal motor vehicle safety standards and offers upper body protection. Visit their web site at www.ezonpro.com
3. Britax has several products that can be installed with only a lap belt and protect children over 40 pounds. Visit their web site at www.childseat.com

• Husky is a child seat with harness that can be used to 50 pounds with only a lap belt and then to 80 pounds with the addition of the tether strap. It can also be installed using a lap/shoulder belt.
• Marathon is a child seat with a harness designed to be used up to 65 pounds and can be installed using a lap or lap/shoulder belt.
• Laptop, an energy-absorbing child restraint with a shield, does not boost the child up, and can be secured with either a lap-only or lap-shoulder belt. It is still available in limited quantities at some children's specialty stores. Britax discontinued production of the Laptop as of September 1st 2002.

Small shield boosters were originally designed for children 30-60 pounds, and were tested using a lap only belt and a dummy the size of a three-year old. In 1996, the government's standards changed to require booster seats be tested with a 47 pound crash test dummy the size of a six-year old child. Manufacturers revised instructions for shield boosters to allow use of the shield only until the child weighed 40 pounds. On many models, the shield can be removed and the base used as a backless belt positioning booster (check instructions). Most manufacturers are no longer producing small shield booster seats and children weighing less than 40 pounds should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they physically outgrow it.

Your doctor's office, police department, hospital, or health department may be able to direct you to a local program that can assist you in acquiring a child car seat or booster seat for your child. If you live in Washington State, click on Local Help then on your County to find your local Child Passenger Safety Team or Safe Kids Coalition.

Most child car seats are designed for full-term infants. Choose a car seat with harness straps only, not with a shield or bar that could sit high in front of a small baby's face. Select a seat with shoulder straps located 10 inches or less from the bottom of the seat. Use the lowest set of slots for the shoulder straps. A crotch strap located 5 ½ inches or less from the seat back will help keep your baby from slouching. You may find a rolled washcloth placed between the baby's crotch and the crotch strap will also help. Place rolled-up diapers or small blankets alongside your baby's body for added support. If your premature infant has breathing problems or weighs less than 5 pounds, a crash-tested car bed like the Cosco Ultra Dreamride or Graco Angel Guard may be recommended.

Car seat information is available from the Safety Restraint Coalition. Call (425) 828-8975 or 1-800-282-5587. Outside Washington State call the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT.

Materials are available in English and Spanish. Some material is available in the following languages: Chinese, Russian, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Vietnamese, and French.

Most manufacturers have web sites and toll-free telephone numbers. (See the list of car seat manufacturers links here.)

• Send in the registration card attached to a new child car seat. This allows the manufacturer to contact you in the event of a recall.
• Contact the manufacturer of your child's car seat, the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT OR or in Washington State call the Safety Restraint Coalition at (425) 828-8975 or 1-800-282-5587

• Some stores who sell car seats also sell replacement locking clips.
• Contact the manufacturer of your child's car seat.
• Attend a car seat checkup clinic or contact your local Child Passenger Safety Team (see links here).

Parents, health care providers and others can learn more about protecting children with special needs in the publications section of the American Academy of Pediatrics website www.aap.org where a shopping guide listing information about protecting child passengers with special medial needs can be found In Washington State contact the Safety Restraint Coalition at (425) 828-8975 or 1-800-BUCK-L-UP.

Every car seat manufacturer along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child car seat be replaced if it has been involved in a car crash. A child car seat is designed to protect your child in one crash. It should be replaced after a crash as it may have hidden damage. Ask your automobile insurer to replace your child's car seat as part of your insurance claim. Any child car seat occupied in a car crash should be replaced just as you would replace a dented fender or broken headlight. For more info, click here.

Seat belts in use during a crash should also be replaced. Read your vehicle owners manual and discuss replacement with your insurance company.

Now is a great time to learn how to keep you and your new baby safe in the car. Go to a car seat safety class if one is given by your hospital, health plan, or clinic. This will help you learn about using car seat correctly from the start.

Pregnant mothers should always use a lap/shoulder belt. Right now you are your baby's car seat. Avoid using a lap-only belt. Push the lap part of the belt down as far as possible below your belly. Check to make sure it stays low and snug. If you wear a heavy coat, open it and pull it away from your belly. This helps the lap part of the seat belt fit snugly.

Sit as far back from the steering wheel as possible. Let others do as much of the driving as possible during the last few months of pregnancy. Avoid unnecessary trips. When you ride in the car, sit in the back seat using the lap/shoulder belt.

If you are in a crash, even a minor one, get checked at a hospital emergency room. Your unborn baby could be seriously injured even if you do not seem to be hurt.

Washington has many people who are trained to check child car seat use and installation (see attached list of local Law Enforcement-led Child Passenger Safety Teams.) If you live in Washington State, click on Local Help then on your County to find your local Child Passenger Safety Team or Safe Kids Coalition Daimler-Chrysler also has a program called Fit For A Kid. Nationwide, the dealerships participating in the program offer child car seat checkups, by appointment, for anyone driving any brand of motor vehicle. Check their website at www.fitforakid.org to find the nearest participating dealership.

Yes! In Washington State, you can report an Unbuckled Child using the "Better Safe Than Sorry Reporting Line." Click here to find out more.

The Safety Restraint Coalition in Kirkland conducts Washington State's Child Passenger Safety Program. The Coalition answers questions about choosing and using child car seats, has information about booster seats, a list of car seat recalls, and information about protecting children of all ages in the car. In the Seattle area, call 425-828-8975 or from other areas of Washington call toll-free at 1-800-BUCK-L-UP (1-800-282-5587). Outside Washington State, call the Auto Safety Hotline at 1-800-DASH-2-DOT.

While Evenflo does not have a specific note in the product instruction manual about belt tightening devices, we do state in our warnings section in every book DO NOT attach additional padding, toys or other devices not made by Evenflo or described in these instructions to the child restraint. Items not tested with the child restraint could injure the child. Evenflo does not sanction the use of the Mighty Tite or any other similar device with our products.

This answer was provided by Randy Kiser Director, Product Safety, Research & Development Evenflo Company, Inc.

Another car seat manufacturer, Britax, says this about tightening devices: "The use of non-Britax Child Safety, Inc. covers, inserts, toys, accessories, or tightening devices is not approved by Britax. Their use could cause this restraint to fail Federal Safety Standards or perform worse in a crash. Their use automatically voids the Britax warranty".