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Keeping your child safe while traveling in the car is a must. It is also good if the journey is comfortable. Find out how you can take care of this!
Every year hundreds of children die on the roads. The lion’s share of these statistics are the youngest ones travelling by car. Why, in spite of newer and safer child safety seats and more durable and reliable cars, do people under the age of 12 or sometimes 17 die in accidents? There is a simple answer to this question. Just a car seat or a new and tested car is not enough. One should remember about proper securing of the car seat. Many of them have several possibilities of attachment to the seat on the back seat.
Safety first, but providing comfort for your child is also very important, especially during long journeys. Here are some tried and tested solutions on how to take care of this!
How to safely transport a child?
First of all, every child under 3 years of age must ride in a child safety seat. When the child is over 3 years old and its height does not exceed 150 centimeters, it can be a car seat or a pad. However, the former option is recommended, because it has been proven many times that the pad does not protect the child adequately. So, the paramount issue is to choose the right car seat for children up to and over three years old. On the market you can find quite a few interesting offers of car seats. Some stand out from others. What should they contain?
Necessary elements of a car seat
- Isofix – comfortable in fastening, but also stabilizing the car seat,
- Seatbelts – despite the isofix, it is also a good idea to fasten the car seat with seat belts,
- Top Theater – another reinforcement, this time of the upper part of the construction. Top Theater – another reinforcement, this time of the upper part of the construction. Top Theater is mounted with a belt with a suitable hook behind the rear bench seat,
- Side protection – every fourth car accident is a side impact collision. It is worth taking care of a car seat equipped with adequate side protection both at head, shoulder and torso level,
- 5-point har nesses – the car seat should have 5-point harnesses which protect the child better.
These few functions every modern and safe car seat should fulfill. Regardless of whether it is for younger or slightly older children. Safety is one thing, but it is also worth taking care of comfort. How? Here are some examples:
- proper choice – the most important issue is the size and width of the car seat. It should be adjusted to the child in every inch,
- breathable fabric – an irreplaceable solution on hot days. The child does not sweat so much. You can also buy an anti-sweat insert, which will strengthen the effect,
- headrest – not every model of the seat has it, but it is an element which guarantees stabilization of the child’s head while driving,
- soft pad – as a rule, car seats are made of plastic, on it there is one layer of material. It is worth taking care that this fabric is appropriately soft.
Safe and comfortable ride in a baby carrier
Of course, newborns should be transported in seats 0-13 kg, which have a slightly different shape.What solution will be suitable? Such a seat should have:
- safety certificates – any seat for a newborn should meet strict regulations that guarantee safety, like i-Size,
- headprotection – the head is the most vulnerable part of a child’s body to injuries. Additional protection around this part of the body is essential,
- side protection – as in car seats, without side protection it is better not to choose a version for a newborn,
- energy-absorbing foam – during an impact the foam absorbs part of the energy, which translates into less or no injury
A few examples, which should be taken into account when choosing a 0-13 kg seat. Finally, a little about comfort:
- sun protection – every small car seat should have foldable sun protection preferably with vents,
- seatadjustment – when the child is active the seat should be slightly raised, and when it is sleeping it should be lowered. A large, adjustable isofix base will help,
- ventilation – adequate and above all effective ventilation system to ensure proper temperature inside the seat,
- comfortable pad ding – as in the case of larger child car seats – soft and comfortable padding ensures comfort during long journeys.
(fot. pixabay.com)
