Safe Rear-Facing Travel
CYBEX recommends that children travel in rear-facing car seats for as long as possible, ideally up to the age of four. When a child is properly restrained rear-facing, the head and neck move together with the car seat, allowing the crash force to be spread across the shell of the car seat. This protects the child's head, neck, and torso, reducing the risk for a neck and spine injury.
This recommendation is supported by The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) which states all infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat (CSS) as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seats manufacturer.
Transitioning to Forward-Facing
When the time comes to transition your child to a forward-facing position, we recommend keeping them in a 5-point harness until they reach the maximum weight or height limit.
In the event of a crash, the harness transfers the forces of the crash to these stronger points of the body and into the seat.
Remember to always use the tether as it reduces the forward movement of the seat by 4 - 6 inches dramatically improving the car seat's performance.
Enhanced Safety: High-Back Booster Seats
Booster seats play an important role in your child’s car seat journey and help older children stay safe when they have outgrown their harnessed seat but are not big enough for the seat belt alone. A booster raises the child up in the seat so that the seat belt can be appropriately fitted into the right position on the child’s body.
We recommend using a booster seat equipped with an adjustable backrest and lateral side-impact protection.
Top 5 Car Seat
Safety Tips
Tip #1: Select the right seat for your child’s age and size
Do not transition your child to the next stage of car seat until they have outgrown their current stage seat: Rear Facing > Forward Facing > Booster > Vehicle Seat Belt.
Tip #2: A secure installation moves less than 1 inch.
Make sure you test for tightness at the car seat belt path. Testing anywhere else on the car seat may show movement that is actually expected and okay.
Tip #3: Find the right harness height
When rear-facing the harness should be positioned at or below the child’s shoulders. When forward-facing the harness should be positioned at or above the shoulders. And do not forget, the chest clip should be positioned at the child’s armpit level.
Tip #4: Make sure the
harness is snug
You should not be able to vertically pinch harness webbing together between your fingers when testing near the child’s shoulders.
Tip #5: Use the tether
When properly installed, the use of the tether can help reduce the distance a child’s head moves in a crash by 4 – 6 inches. Using the tether could be the difference between a brain injury or no injury at all.
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*Using the right car seat in the right way can reduce the risk of death & injury during a crash by up to 82% Source: https://www.cdc.gov/transportationsafety/child_passenger_safety/cps-factsheet.html