There are many things people don’t tell you before having a child and how to install a car seat is one of them. I remember before our oldest Waylon was born I literally flagged down a police officer and had him look at my newly installed car seat to make sure it was done right. If you’re not confident of how to properly secure your child in a safety seat, contact your local CHP Area Office, and ask to speak with a child passenger safety technician….so turns out I’m not as nutty as I thought.
There were some changes made to current car seat laws for this year. Car seat laws may or may not be a topic of conversation at your play dates so here is what’s new in 2017:
Effective January 1, 2017:
- Children under 2 years of age shall ride in a rear-facing car seat unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds OR is 40 or more inches tall. The child shall be secured in a manner that complies with the height and weight limits specified by the manufacturer of the car seat. (Having your child rear-facing reduces the risk of a spinal cord injury in case of an accident)
Current California Law:
- Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.
- Children who are 8 years of age OR have reached 4’9” in height must be secured by a safety belt.
- Passengers who are 16 years of age and over are subject to California’s Mandatory Seat Belt law. (I’m pretty sure we all knew that one CHP but thanks for clarifying)
On our last road-trip to Tahoe I knew we had to upgrade Zeke’s car seat and say goodbye to the one we took him home from the hospital in. It was a little bittersweet (funny how you can get attached to something like a carseat) but ultimately his comfort and safety was most important. And having him more comfortable meant less crying so I was all about that. We chose the Boulevard ClickTight ARB Convertible Car Seat from Britax and I’m so pleased with it. This car seat has the safest and easiest installation available with their “ClickTight” Installation System. Installation is really as easy as easy as buckling a seatbelt. The seat also comes with 2 layers of side impact protection…it’s seriously so comfy I wish I could sit in it. Plus this there is an Anti-Rebound Bar attached for rear facing car seats that minimizes forces associated with crashes by stabilizing the car seat when installed rear-facing. Peace of mind people, peace of mind!
If you’re in need of a new car seat or expecting your first bundle of joy then check out Britax and here’s a video on how to properly secure your child in their car seat.
https://youtu.be/E4cCaFKEolE