As a parent, you know that plans for transporting your kids can change from one day to the next. A grandparent may help drive your child one day, or another parent, older sibling or babysitter may take a turn.
No matter who’s behind the wheel, one rule should not change: Your child needs the right car seat, booster seat or seat belt in every vehicle, on every trip.
A correctly installed car seat can cut the risk of death in a car accident by 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers. Yet almost half of car seats are installed the wrong way.
Parents and caregivers can get help in keeping their kids safe. This guide explains why safe car seating matters and how to:
- Choose the right seat for your child
- Check the seat’s fit
- Prepare other drivers
- Find free or low-cost car seat help in New Mexico
Why Do Kids Need a Car Seat or Booster?
Safety belts in cars are designed for adults. Car seats and booster seats are designed to protect kids from serious, even fatal, vehicle accident-related injuries. Car seats use a harness to hold a young child in the right position. Booster seats lift an older child so the lap and shoulder belts cross the right areas of their body.
Parents and caregivers must know and follow the guidelines for which seat is best for their child. As you search for the perfect seat, keep these three guidelines in mind:
- Children should ride in the back seat through age 12.
- Do not move a child to the next seat because of age alone.
- Do not move from one seat type to another based on older siblings’ or friends’ milestones.
Choose the Right Seat for Your Child
The New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division says children up to their seventh birthday and children under 60 pounds must use a child safety seat. Children ages 7-12 must use a booster until the adult belt fits. Follow the seat maker’s height and weight limits to choose the right seat.
Important: Avoid dressing your child in bulky clothing or wrapping them in blankets while in their car seat. Extra layers make the seat’s straps fit too loosely to protect a child in an accident. Taking off their winter gear before strapping them in is an extra step, but it is worth it to keep them safe.
Rear-Facing Car Seat
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics’ car seat guidelines, Babies and toddlers should ride rear-facing in the back seat until they reach the seat’s height or weight limit. Most rear-facing car seats are meant for babies up to 22-35 pounds and 26-35 inches tall depending on the model. A rear-facing seat gives added support to a young child’s head, neck and spine. Never place a rear-facing seat in front of an active air bag.
Forward-Facing Car Seat
After a child outgrows the rear-facing seat, use a forward-facing seat with a harness and top-tether in the back seat. Keep using the front-facing seat until the child reaches the weight limit, which is typically 40-65 pounds depending on the model. If there are height limits on the seat, follow that guideline, too.
Some rear-facing car seats can be converted to forward-facing. These may be labeled as “convertible” or “all-in-one” seats. Check your car seat’s instruction manual to install and use it properly.
Booster Seat
Once a child has outgrown the forward-facing car seat, it’s time to use a booster seat. The booster helps the vehicle’s seat belt fit across the upper thighs, chest and shoulder instead of the stomach or neck. Booster seats should never be used in the front seats of a vehicle.
Seat belt fit can also change from one vehicle to another. Many children need a booster until they are 9-12 years old. Some older children may say a booster feels babyish or that their friends do not use one. Keep your answer simple: the booster helps the seat belt protect their body.
Make buckling up a family rule for everyone in the car. Give your child a role in the routine. Ask them to check that the lap belt is low on their thighs and the shoulder belt crosses their chest. An adult should still make the final check.
Seat Belt
A child is ready for a seat belt alone when they have outgrown all the car seat and booster seat requirements and the lap belt lies low across the upper thighs. The shoulder belt should cross the middle of the chest and shoulder. It should not cross the stomach, neck or face.
Check the Installation and Harness
A car seat can be the right type and still be unsafe if it is loose or the harness does not fit.
Use this checklist before you drive:
- Test the seat at the belt path. This is where the seat belt or anchor strap passes through the car seat. The seat should move no more than one inch from side to side or front to back.
- Make the harness snug. If you can pinch extra strap at the child’s shoulder, tighten it.
- Place the chest clip at armpit level.
- Use the top tether as directed. This strap connects the top of a forward-facing seat to an anchor in the vehicle.
- Register the seat with the maker so you can get recall notices.
- Buckle every child on every trip, even when the drive is only a few blocks.
A certified child passenger safety technician can check your work. The technician can also teach you how to install the seat yourself.
Make a Plan for School Pickups and Carpools
Do not wait until pickup time to find out if another driver has the right seat. Before a grandparent, babysitter, relative or carpool parent drives your child, make sure they know:
- Which seat or booster your child uses
- The child’s current height and weight
- Where the seat should be installed
- How to tighten the seat and harness
- That your child must be buckled the right way for every trip
Let the caregiver practice before the first pickup, ideally with your child there to check the harness or belt fit. If that is not possible, leave time to move and install the seat according to the seat and vehicle manuals.
If your child often rides with another adult, a second seat or booster may make pickups easier. For some rear-facing car seats, you install bases in multiple vehicles to easily click the car seat into place. Plan ahead for taxis and ride-share vehicles, too. Do not assume the driver will have a car seat or booster that fits your child.
Find Free Car Seat Help in New Mexico
You do not have to figure out car seat setup alone. Several free or reduced-cost programs across the state help with car seat purchases, installation and safety checks. Visit your local Department of Transportation (DOT) or Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) website as a starting point to find car seat assistance near you.
Get a Free Car Seat Check
Safer New Mexico Now offers free car seat check events with trained safety technicians. A technician can check whether the seat fits your child and vehicle. They can look for setup problems and show you how to buckle your child.
Check the Safer New Mexico Now calendar for an event. Bring the car seat and its manual, the vehicle and its owner’s manual and your child to the event. Safer New Mexico Now says a check takes about 30 minutes per seat. You can also call 800-231-6145 or 505-856-6143 to ask about the nearest site. English and Spanish how-to videos are available.
Ask About a Low-Cost Car Seat
The New Mexico Child Safety Seat Distribution Program is funded by the New Mexico DOT Traffic Safety Division. It helps low-income families get affordable car seats and instructions for how to use them. Each distribution site has its own rules. Many ask for proof that the family gets Medicaid, WIC or New Mexi-Kids. Families must use an approved site and complete hands-on teaching with a trained technician. Visit the program website for more information.
Check Your Child’s Health Coverage
No car seat can prevent every injury if your child experiences a car accident. Health insurance can help pay for care in the event of an emergency, including rehabilitation. What you pay and which services are covered depend on the plan.
Knowing the right car seat is in place and your health coverage is current can ease some worry before the next trip. If you need health insurance coverage, schedule a free appointment with a BeWell Certified Assister. From the right car seat to the right health plan, a little preparation helps you protect what matters most.
