Do You Really Know About Car Seat Safety?

What do you know about car seat safety? Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death in children from age 3 to 14 years of age? That is an  unbelievable statistic and yet something we can take a precaution against. I hope you will join me in making sure your precious children are as safe as they can possibly be while riding in a car. Below I have listed some links for you to have a look at but right now I want to tell you about a product that is very helpful to all of us (grandparents too) with new babies. 

The Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40 accommodates the new guide lines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendation of staying rear facing for two years.  Graco, the baby gear brand that customers have trusted for 60 years recently introduced the first infant car seat that can keep baby rear facing for two years – it’s the Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40, the only true newborn to two years old, four to forty pounds, car seat on the market.  They are 5 times safer rear facing! 

Here's our Itty Bitty in the Graco SnugRide...can you see that other car seat in the background? It is tight against the seat with no leg room. But not the Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40, there is room to kick! 

Let me tell you a story…. My oldest grand daughter was born pre-mature and stayed in the hospital for an additional three weeks after mom was released. It was touch and go for a while but the time did come for her to go home; she was going to make it! In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit you learn about dangers to a new born that you never dreamed about! We began to see possible dangers at every turn! 

I waited at my son’s home for him and his wife to arrive from the hospital with that tiny, precious, little bundle full of promise out there in the big world of automobiles! That precious baby had her other grandmother and I to welcome her home; we were excited and yet tense at the same time! You see we needed her to get home safe!

Car seats or booster seats are so important to the safety of our children no matter how big or little they are! With auto crashes at the top of the list for child accidental death, I hope you take your child’s car seat very seriously! If you have a child over the age of one, you probably know that as they grow, car seats can become very uncomfortable for the kids. Their legs are growing and they are all bunched up with the car seat tight against the back seat. Often the children will fuss and cry while riding in the car because they are uncomfortable. Yes I know this from experience! Let me tell you, we grow children tall in our family and often the car seats get turned around to front facing before age two because the child is so large and uncomfortable rear facing; that's not safe!

But I am happy to tell you that the new Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40, allows a child to stay rear facing up to two years old without the discomfort of their legs being all bunched up! It is the only true newborn to two years old, four to forty pounds, car seat on the market. Let me show you how that works right here with two very informative videos.

I have to tell you, I love this car seat! Can you tell? The first thing I learned about it is that I can install it myself! That was a huge deal because the other car seats I have took my fireman son in law almost thirty minutes to install correctly in my tiny compact car. With the Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40, it is simple and straight forward to install; no major muscle needed! 

Once the base is in, all you need to do is sit the carrier on to the base, be sure you hear a good click, and you are ready for your baby to go for a ride.

When adjusting the straps to the child's size, it was very was easy to do also. The head rest easily adjust to the height of the child’s head and the shoulder straps do not need to be re threaded. Be sure the middle buckle is in the right position and tightened to the proper fit! This car seat will quickly adjust from a reclining position to sitting up too. Then, there is this nice foot rest that you can pull up that also protects your seat from dirty little shoes. All this makes it so easy to use this seat with different sized babies, newborn to two years. (Do you know what a proper fit is and were the buckle should be on your child? Did you know that you should use the correct angle of reclining for your child's age so that the child's air way stays open? Nearly 73% of child restraints are not installed or used correctly.)

Many grandparents are the primary caregivers (as I am) for babies, and yet they are not knowledgeable of updated safety guidelines (because they change so frequently), including the AAP’s rear facing regulation. 

Look at this handsome guy! See where his feet are?

In our family among our adult children, we have nurses, an orthopedic technician, elementary school teachers, and a fireman. Between them there is a lot of knowledge about safety and dangers for kids. While they are all up to date with the latest information, sometimes it doesn't get passed down to this grandmother. I must be responsible for educating myself and not rely on them to pass on that valuable info. I hope you too will research on your own and learn about the dangers as well as key safety issues while children are riding in your car.

Photo courtesy of www.Graco.com. What a good looking car seat! Very sturdy, great quality too! 

One more thing I would like to tell you about the Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40 is that while you can purchase additional bases to go in grandma and grandpa's car, you can also purchase a stroller that the carrier snaps or clicks into. With this stroller as the base for the carrier part of the car seat, they can quickly and easily go from car to the stroller. 

I placed this car seat into three different vehicles to check on the installation process and fit of each. I have to tell you that while this car seat fit perfectly in an SUV and a mini van, it did not work so well in my Hyundai Elantra, a very small vehicle. When the car seat is adjusted to fit the larger child, it required the front passenger seat to be push way forward. It is doubtful that any adult in my family could comfortably sit there; we are all tall. Yet the car seat did fit in the back, rear facing. 

Yes I am a safety nut, I can imagine all sorts of hidden dangers everywhere; and while only a small percentage of possible dangers ever actually happen, there is no reason you cannot keep your children as safe as possible while riding in a vehicle. Are you convinced? Are you going to check out the links and take time to be educated about car seat safety?  Okay, let me hear about it! I love my new SnugRide Click Connect 40  from Graco, a trusted provider of baby gear for over 60 years, and so do my grand babies and their parents! Now we just need a new crop of babies around here ;) 

 * Disclosure: I received a Graco SnugRide Click Connect 40 for purposes of this review; but the opinions and information given are completely my own! I AM NOT a car seat safety expert! Please check your states laws and regulations and be sure to follow your car seat owner's manual to make sure your car seat is installed correctly. Many states have car seat safety check events or places you can go to to have a professional make sure it is installed correctly. Call your local car seat merchant or look online to find one.

I have had a lot of content theft lately. If you are reading this post anywhere else but at Family Home and Life then it was used without permission! Copyright© Family Home and Life 2012 All Rights Reserved