It's Child Passenger Safety Week: Are your child safety seats installed properly?

September 19, 2012

U.S. officials hope to use Child Passenger Safety Week this week to remind parents and caregivers to make sure they are properly using and installing their child safety seats.

A new National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) survey shows parents are making five significant mistakes when using car seats and booster seats. It also found one in five parents do not read any instructions when installing seats.

According to a new NHTSA survey, the following are the five most significant and commonly observed mistakes made by parents and caregivers when using and installing car seats and booster seats:

1. Wrong harness slot used – The harness straps used to hold the child in the car seat were positioned either too low or too high;

2. Harness chest clip positioned over the abdomen rather than the chest or not used at all;

3. Loose car seat installation – The restraint system moved more than two inches side-to-side or front to back; anything more than one inch is too much.

4. Loose harness – More than two inches of total slack between the child and the harness strap; there should be no slack.

5. Seat belt placement was wrong – Lap belt resting over the stomach and/or shoulder belt on the child's neck or face.