At Totsafe, we are always looking for ways to keep kids safe, whether it be at home, while at grandma's house, or in the car.  We have compiled our favorite car seat safety and child passenger safety articles, tips, links and charts for reference in keeping your children safe.

Please visit www.seatcheck.org to find certified technicians in your area who can answer your car seat safety questions, and offer  inspections and training.     

Have a child who is heavier than 40 pounds?  Check out our article, Booster Seat Basics to help keep your child safe in the car.

Don't forget to check out our travel safety products.

One of the best websites we've found dealing with child passenger and car seat safety is at www.carseatdata.org.  There you can find how to:

• Determine what type of car seat will give your child the best protection.

• Learn how to use that type of seat, and what features you can purchase that will make it easier for you to use your seat correctly, every time.

• Check out the  compatibility database to see if the seats you want tend to fit in your cars.

• Buy the seat, read the directions, and try to get the seat installed well.

• Get your installation checked out by a cps tech.

-From NHTSA.GOV: Visit The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website for information regarding all aspects of driving on the road, including child car safety information, crash testing information to help you buy a safer car, and child car seat ratings.

Did you know that there are significant safety benefits to keeping  a child rear-facing as long as the safety seat allows?  Check your child's seat specifications to review how long it can be used rear-facing.  Many convertible car seats can be used rear facing up to 30 pounds, offering better protection in the event of a crash.

Visit CPSafety for more information about extended rear facing.  

Looking for information regarding the new LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) System?  Read "Child Safety Seats Get Safer" by Jayne O'Donnell.

Riding Rules for Tots and Teens Beyond the basics--children shouldn't sit in front of an air bag, infants need to be in rear-facing child seats--take note of these tips regarding kids and cars that you probably haven't heard By Jayne O'Donnell, ClubMom, Inc. Car seats and coats don't always mix. Before you buckle your baby in a child safety seat during the cold winter months, take off bulky snowsuits and coats. The child seat harnesses won't work as effectively if there's all that cushioning between the baby and the belts. Instead, use blankets to keep your baby warm. (By the way, the same goes for grownups and their winter wraps.) Some rearview mirrors can be dangerous. Watch out for mirrors sold to help you keep an eye on your rear-facing infant. Many suction onto the back window or otherwise attach to the back of the car. In a crash—or even if you just stop short—the mirror can go flying and hit your baby or other occupants in the head. An unlocked auto is a hazard waiting to happen. Always keep your car locked, even if you live in the safest of neighborhoods. During 2000, at least 32 deaths were attributed to kids being left unattended in or around cars. And that's not just from joyriders—this includes young children who became locked in trunks. It happens because in many vehicle models, children may be able to pop the trunk (from inside or outside) when the car's unlocked, or access the trunk via a pass-through in the backseat. Not all safety belts save lives. Beware of safety-belt adjusters, sold in stores, that are designed to make adult safety belts fit kids. These devices are not tested or regulated by the federal government and may, in fact, decrease the effectiveness of a vehicle's safety belts—especially for very young children. General Motors does offer a built-in belt adjuster that the company tests with its belts, and the government says it's okay. Otherwise, if your car's safety belts don't fit a child under 80 pounds, buy a booster seat. There are rare instances when young kids are safest sitting up front. While children younger than 13 are generally safest sitting in the back seat of a vehicle, here is an exception: If you drive an older model car that doesn't have a front passenger-side air bag, does have a three-point safety belt in the front passenger seat, and only has lap belts in back. In this case, a child who can no longer fit in a front-facing child safety seat but doesn't yet fit the vehicle's safety belts properly on his own is best off sitting up front in a booster seat, using the vehicle's lap-shoulder belt. When riding shotgun, it's best to be empty-handed. Never allow a passenger sitting in the front seat of your car to hold toys, games, or anything else that would come between him and a deploying air bag. At least one child has been seriously injured when the bag hit a toy in front of his face. ClubMom's AutoPro, Jayne O'Donnell, is a Washington, D.C.-based reporter (and new mom!) whose automotive expertise and investigative reporting skills have helped break some of the biggest auto-safety stories of the past several years. Copyright © 1999-2004 ClubMom, Inc. All rights reserved.

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