It's Child Passenger Safety Week and parents are being encouraged to look for hidden dangers with their child's car seat.
Did you know car seats have an expiration date? The average life span of a car seat is 6 years, but some expire sooner. Make sure all labels are still on the car seat. These will have the expiration date as well as other important guidelines and information. AAA officials also suggest to always check the history of your child's car seat. If the seat has been in an accident, it voids the safety of the seat and you need to get a new one. There is a misconception that children should face forward as soon as possible, but in actuality, having your child rear-facing is the safest option. installation of the car seat is also important, but so is proper harnessing.
Local police departments as well as AAA offer free car seat checks by appointment to members and non-members. To get more information on car seat safety, visit www.AAA.com/childsafety.
