Carefree Car Ownership
Car seat buying tips and safety advice for new parents
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released updated car seat guidelines earlier this year. New parents should review the latest developments along with general car buying tips before taking an infant passenger for a ride.
Rear-facing car seats are recommended for babies up to two-years-old representing an increase from previous reports suggesting that one-year-olds were ready for front-facing seats.
As your children grow older, they will start to ask about sitting in the front seat, which is commonly viewed as a sign of maturity among adolescents. The AAP urges parents to only allow youngsters over 13 to sit in the coveted shotgun seat.
In the meantime, carefully review car seat installation manuals, as an NHTSA study revealed that less than one-third of adults set up car seats correctly. Most products fall into two categories: the seatbelt or the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system.
People frequently make mistakes with both versions, although LATCH was specifically designed to reduce errors. Experts generally consider both approaches to be effective.
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