Safety 1st Carseat Giveaway! In Honor of Child Passenger Safety Week (Ends 9/22/2013)

September 15th marks the beginning of "Child Passenger Safety Week" this year. I was so excited when approached to write an article about this, and to giveaway a carseat to one of my lucky readers. Carseat safety is absolutely mandatory for the safety of your child, and it is the law. Many times, you may even think your using your carseat correctly, and your not. Its by accident, not on purpose. Carseat installation actually more often than not, is done incorrectly, which is why I would like to use this post to point out some great resources!

Car crashes are the leading cause of death for children age 1 through 12 years old.  Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the goal of Child Passenger Safety week is to make sure all parents and caregivers are properly securing their children (ages 0-12) in the best car restraint (rear-facing, forward-facing, booster, seat belt) for their age and size. 

Most communities have somewhere they can go and have their carseat properly installed and taught how to install and use it yourself. In my town, my fire department does this by appointment only. It is free, and was a great resource to me before my 2nd baby was born. I actually was pretty confident I knew what I was doing, and I didn't. I learned SO much, and my carseat would have been installed WRONG, if I hadn't gone up there.

Installation

• According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association, 75% of car seats are installed incorrectly.  Every car and car seat has different requirements for the safest installation so before you get started it is important to read both the car seat and car manual. 
• Typically the center rear seat is the safest place for a car seat, and never install a car seat in the front seat.  If your car does not have a latch connector for the middle seat, you can use the middle seat belt to properly secure the base.  When installing, make sure the base of the car seat moves no more than an inch from side to side. An easy way to test this is to hold at the belt path.
• New parents and grandparents are encouraged to attend a car seat check before the baby is born.  However, don’t just rely on the experts. You’re likely going to be taking the car seat out and installing it somewhere else at some point, so make sure you’re comfortable with the process too.  

Car Seat Expiration

• Never use used or old car seats.  Car seats do have an expiration date and it is to understand the risks associated with using an expired or old car seat.  The reason for an expiration date is because plastic can warp and materials can fray, which can make car seats less safe to use.  Car seat technology and state and federal car seat regulations change.  A car seat deemed safe more than six years ago may no longer meet federal testing regulations.  Important warning labels may wear out and instruction books may get lost, which can lead to improper use of the car seat.

 Importance of Rear Facing

• In March of 2011 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated their car seat recommendations advising that children should remain rear facing until the age of two, or until they reach the maximum height and weight requirements allowed by their car seat. According to a study in the Journal of Injury Preventionchildren under the age of two are 75 percent less likely to die or be severely injured in the event of a car crash if they are rear facing. When a child is rear facing their head, neck and spine are better supported and in the event of an accident, crash forces are distributed over the child’s entire body.

These tips above are courtesy of Safety 1st  Consumer Safety Expert, Julie Vallese.

Check out the video below also, for more tips.
http://youtu.be/wR4S2IamoAc

In honor of Child Safety Week, Safety 1st has been so generous to sponsor a giveaway of one of the seats below of the winners choice. I've also included a photo and description. 

·         Safety 1^st Elite 80 3-in-1 car seat

The Elite 80 works in rear-facing mode for babies up to 40 pounds, then converts to forward-facing with harness, but features an extended weight range to keep children safely in harness all the way to 80 pounds.  In its 3rd mode, the Elite 80 goes beyond the traditional convertible seat to convert into a belt-positioning booster car seat for children up to 100 pounds.  Additionally Air Protect + combines the advanced protection of our Air Protect® cushion system with patented GCell HX™ foam designed with hexagonal shapes for 100% full body production.

·         Safety 1^st Advance 70 Air+

This convertible car seat was inspired by race car drivers. Air Protect+ combines Safety 1^st Air Protect® Technology with GCell HX™ - hexagonal rebounding foam used in the body of the car seat to protect the child from the multiple hits that occur in crashes. Coupled with this is the placement of Air Protect® Technology which takes crash forces away from a child’s head.  This technology was developed in partnership with racecar engineers at Bald Spot Sports and INDY Car Driver Scott Dixon to better understand the energy dynamics a high performance driver faces in the event of a crash. 

·         Safety 1^st BoostAPak Belt-Positioning Booster Car Seat.

The BoostAPak is designed to help keep kids in boosters longer, as it’s often hard to get an older child to stay in his or her booster seat. This booster seat also doubles as a backpack!  For children 4 to 7 years old, booster seats reduce injury risk by 59% compared to seat belts alone. (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia).  Additionally, the AAP recommends children ride in boosters until the age of 12 or 57 inches; but only 13% of children 54-56 inches tall ride on one (NHTSA)

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter below to earn entries, all entries will be verified. 

Giveaway ends 9/22 and winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway