Car Seats DO Expire!

This information was recently posted on a car seat forum and was written by a certified car seat technician.  I want to note that SOME seats have a longer expiration date than 6 years (usually the seats that have steel frames such as Britax and Radian) - check your manual to be sure.  Better safe than sorry!  I will say that I honestly knew nothing about car seats before Buggy (and even for the first 9 months or so).  It has been a huge learning curve.  I have learned that the safest seat is one that fits the child and is used according to the laws and manual every time.

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You may have spent $300 on your car seat or it's never been in an accident. It doesn't mean the carseat is still safe.

Did you know that car seats expire? After 6 years, the car seat can fail in the crash, killing the child! Also, car seat straps have to be hand washed, not washed in the washer. Straps that have been washed in a washer cannot withstand the forces of a crash as well as ones that have been hand washed.

Do you have an old seat, or a seat missing parts, or one that you do not know the background of? Recycle it!

Quick facts:
-Remember to tighten the harness "snug as a hug" so that you cannot pinch a horizontal fold at your child's collarbone. The clip needs to be at armpit level.

- The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends rear facing your child until at least age 2. Convertible car seats rear face until 30, 33 or 35 lbs, depending on the car seat. Rear facing past the bare minimum of 1 and 20 keeps their unfused spine protected! A rear facing child is 400-500% less likely to die or be seriously injured in a crash.
For more info: http://www.joelsjourney.org

- The bare minimum for a belt positioning booster is 4 years and 40 lbs. However, a child shouldn't be moved to a booster until they are mature enough to sit properly 100% of the time - usually age 5 or 6. The seat belt will not protect a child if it is not correctly placed, flat across the shoulder and low on the hips at all times. There are many reasonably priced seats that harness from 65 - 80 pounds on the market.

- After the child is in the booster, they should remain in it until they can pass the 5 step test - http://www.carseat.org/Boosters/630.pdf

- Remember not to use anything in your car seat that didn't come with the seat. (extra head rests, car seat covers, etc). This video explains more:
http://www.ehow.com/video_4440678_aftermarket-car-seat-parts.html

Have a question about car seats? Visit http://www.car-seat.org You do not have to register to ask a question.

All car seats have a limited life span, usually around 6 years, due to the fact that the plastic starts to wear out, as can the straps. It doesn't matter if it looks good to the naked eye, you can be sure that after the stated time, the seat is unsafe. The precise date should be printed on the seat and in the manual. You have to make sure you are counting from the manufacturer's date printed on the seat and not from the date you purchased it!