Car Seat Safety

Auto accidents are the number one killer of children ages 2 to 14. That's why it's so important to make sure your children are buckled up safely in a car seat. In Tennessee, it's the law. By simply using a booster seat, your child's chances of being hurt in an accident is reduced by more than 50 percent. Rural/Metro Ambulance wants to help you keep your children safe with a few simple tips to make sure your children are strapped in safely.

• Never use a car seat in the front seat of a car or truck with an air bag. State law requires children under the age of 13 to always ride in the back seat.Image
• Children under the age of one or weighing less than 20 pounds should always be put in a rear-facing car seat.
• Children ages one to three and weighing more than 20 pounds should be strapped into a forward facing car seat.
• All infant and child car seats should be installed at a 45 degree angle. You can use a tightly rolled towel or foam noodle (these are foam noodles that are used in pools) under the back of the car seat. Once your child's car seat is installed correctly, it should not move more than an inch in any direction.
• Children ages four to eight and under five-feet tall should use a booster seat system.

For more information on car seats and booster seats, and tips on how to make sure your car seat is installed correctly, log onto the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website at www.nhtsa.dot.gov.

You can also call and set up an appointment to have your car seat checked for free by a certified Rural/Metro car seat technician by calling (901) 327-2017 ext: 255.