** 4/5 car seats in Delaware are being used incorrectly. The Delaware State Police has certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians available to help you be sure that your seat is being used correctly. Fill out the following form to request a free appointment. (All seat checks are done by appointment ONLY and you MUST complete the form. Someone will be in contact to confirm your appointment time.) Should you have any questions or concerns please contact Juanita.huey-smith@delaware.gov
Guidelines for Securing Children in the Car Seat
Rear Facing Guidelines
Keep harness straps snug. You should be not be able to pinch harness webbing between your fingers when you grip it at your baby’s collarbone.
Harness straps must be at or below your baby’s shoulder level. If you find that even when putting the harness straps through the lowest slots, the harness straps are above the baby’s shoulder level, you should not continue to use that seat until the baby grows into it.
Make sure the plastic chest clip is placed at the baby’s armpit level. The chest clip is used to hold the straps in place so they can effectively hold your child down in the event of a crash.
Ensure that the car seat is installed at the correct recline level as indicated by the car seat manufacturer’s instructions according to the child’s age, height, and weight. The proper recline level is very important for infants that have no head or neck control. An appropriate recline level allows for a child’s airways to remain open.
It is currently recommended to rear face children as long as physically possible, which means to the upper height and weight limit of rear facing mode of their convertible car seats. Most convertible car seats have a rear facing weight limit of at least 40 pounds, which is your average four-year-old. The minimum goal for rear facing is age two. Rear facing car seats keep a child’s head, neck, and spine in a straight line in the event of a collision, which reduces the risk of severe spinal injuries. Leg space is not an issue, but rather perceived comfort as an adult.
Do not add anything to the car seat that did not come in the box with it, including extra padding, such as head huggers and harness strap covers, and toys. Extra padding adds space between the child and the harness, impeding a proper harness fit. Toys & mirrors become projectiles in a collision.
Forward Facing Guidelines:
Children who have outgrown the upper height and weight limits of their rear facing convertible car seat should be transitioned to a forward facing five point harness car seat in the back seat of the vehicle. If using a convertible car seat, ensure that the car seat is in forward facing mode according to the car seat manufacturer’s instructions.
Harness straps should be positioned at or above the child’s shoulders and should pass the pinch test.
Make sure that the chest clip rests at armpit level.
If your car seat is equipped with a tether strap on the back, use it. Forward facing car seats are equipped with a top tether strap. The top tether should be used for forward facing children in a five point harness whenever possible. Use of a top tether reduces forward movement in a crash by up to four to six inches. Always make sure that the top tether is attached to a designated tether anchor in the vehicle and not a cargo hook. This information can be found in the vehicle owner’s manual.
Booster Seat Guidelines:
Many children transition to a booster seat too soon. To use a booster seat, children must be mature enough to sit upright and stay in proper position for the entirety of the car ride, even if they fall asleep. Children should remain in a five point harness until they outgrow the height and weight limits for harness use on their forward facing car seat. The minimum age recommended to transition to a booster is 5 years of age.
Booster seats raise children up so that the lap and shoulder belt fit them properly.
The lap portion should fit snugly and low over the hips. A lap belt that comes across the child’s stomach could cause internal injuries in the event of a car crash. The shoulder strap should come across the child’s chest, not his or her neck.
There are two types of booster seats: high back boosters and backless boosters. Proper use of either one shows no safety difference.
High back boosters are recommended for a child newly transitioning to a booster from a five point harness. They provide side and back support that reminds the child to stay in proper position.
Seat belts, on average, do not provide a proper fit until a child reaches a height of 4’9”. Most children need a booster until between the ages of 10 and 12.
For a blurb or quick insight post:
Effective on June 30 2024, Delaware’s Child Restraint Law requires:
Children under age 2 AND 30 pounds to ride in a rear-facing car seat
Children under age 4 AND 40 pounds to ride in a harnessed car seat
Children in booster seats are to remain in their booster seat until reaching the height or weight maximum listed by the manufacturer (There is no booster seat with a height maximum lower than 4’4”).
In short:
Under the age of 1 – Children must always ride rear-facing. Rear-facing is not just for babies! The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long recommended that―infants ride in rear-facing car seats, and in 2018 the AAP updated that recommendation to encourage rear-facing for as long as possible, until a child reaches the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer. Most convertible car safety seats have limits that will permit children to ride rear-facing past the second birthday.
Ages 1 through 3 – Keep your children rear-facing for as long as possible in either an infant or rear-facing convertible seat. They should remain rear-facing until the height and weight limit for rear-facing mode on the convertible car seat has been reached. This may result in many children riding rear-facing to age 2 or older.
Ages 4 through 7 – Keep children in a forward-facing seat with a harness to the maximum height and weight limit allowed by the seat. Then transition them to a booster seat.
Ages 8 through 12 – Keep children in a booster seat until they reach the upper height or weight limit of the booster seat or until they are big enough to fit the criteria for fitting appropriately in a seat belt. The shoulder belt should lie across the shoulder and chest, not cross the neck or face, and the lap belt must lie across the upper thighs not the stomach.
Statistics:
Children should ride rear facing as long as possible.
Do not rush to transition your children to the next step
4 out of 5 child safety seats in Delaware are not installed correctly
