Child safety seat is another name for car seat. There are several different types of child safety seats, including infant seats, convertible seats, and booster seats. Each type of seat has specific age, height, and weight restrictions, and must be installed in a particular way. The law in New Mexico requires all children up to their 7th birthday, regardless of weight, and all children less than 60 pounds, regardless of age, to ride in a child safety seat (car seat or booster seat). The law also states that children ages 7 to 12 must ride in a booster seat until the adult seat belt fits them properly.
Rear-Facing Child Safety Seat
Young children have heavy heads and small, flexible bodies. Facing the back of a car, truck, or van in a rear-facing car seat is safer than facing the front. The child safety seat supports the child's head and neck and spreads crash energy across the entire back. All children must remain rear facing until they are at least 1 year of age
and 20 pounds. However,
children between the ages of 1 and 2 are 5 times less likely to be injured in a crash rear facing compared to forward facing! ALL children should stay rear facing as long as possible, up to the weight or height limit of a rear-facing seat (most convertible models can be used up to 30 or 35 pounds). |
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Forward-Facing Child Safety Seat
As children grow older they still need extra protection. The straps on a forward-facing safety seat adjust to fit small children well, and spread crash energy across the strongest parts of the child's body – shoulders, chest, and hips. Children should ride in a forward-facing child safety seat with a harness until they reach the height or weight limits of the seat – most models can be used up to 40 pounds, but some go to 60 pounds or more. Click here for alternatives to booster seats for children over 40 pounds. |
Booster Seat
Older children aren't fully protected by seat belts that don't fit correctly. The belts need to be on the strong and bony parts of a child – not on the soft belly or neck – and they should never be behind a child's back or under an arm. A booster seat raises the child and guides the lap and shoulder belts so they fit the child correctly. It helps prevent injuries and makes the child comfortable. Children should ride in booster seats until the vehicle seat belt fits correctly. Booster seats
must be used with both lap and shoulder belts. Booster seats cannot be used with a lap belt alone. |
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Seat Belt
Children who have outgrown child safety seats and booster seats should use the lap and shoulder belts in cars, trucks, and vans. The seat belt contacts strong areas of a child's body and spreads crash energy over a wide area. To see if the belt fits correctly, have the child sit
all the way back on the vehicle seat and buckle the belt. The child’s knees should bend naturally over the seat edge, the lap belt should stay snug across the upper thighs or hip bones, and the shoulder belt should stay against the chest and shoulder. If the seat belt does not fit correctly, the child should still ride in a booster seat.
Kids should ride in a back seat until age 13! |
Safer does not recommend or condemn any specific brand or model of child safety seat sold in the United States, unless it has been recalled. The best child safety seat for you is the one that fits your child, fits your vehicle, and is used consistently and correctly. The seat you choose should be free of recalls and should have labels indicating it meets all appropriate federal standards. You should never use a child safety seat that has been altered, is missing parts, or has been involved in a moderate to severe crash.
All occupants must be properly restrained in all seating positions. Violators must pay a $25 fine plus court fees (which vary by jurisdiction) and receive 2 driver's license points against their driving privilege.
Crashes are violent events. When a car, truck, or van suddenly stops in a crash, everyone and everything inside keeps moving. Child safety seats and seat belts help manage that energy so our bodies don't need to.
Traffic crashes are still the leading cause of unintentional deaths and severe injuries in the U.S., and unintentional injuries are the leading cause of childhood deaths. Many of these deaths and injuries are predictable, and preventable. For every injury-related death, there are 45 children hospitalized, and many more needing medical care in emergency rooms or doctors' offices. Child safety seats are
71% effective in reducing deaths for infants in passenger cars. They are
54% effective in reducing deaths for children ages 1 to 4 in passenger cars. They
reduce the need for hospitalization by 69%. Overall, child safety seats are a highly cost effective investment!
Source: National Highway Transportation Safety Administration National Standardized Child Passenger Safety Training Program Curriculum
A Fitting Station is a free and convenient way to have your child's car seat inspected by a NHTSA-certified CPS technician. Parents and caregivers receive personal instruction on the proper selection, installation, and use of their child safety seats. Fitting Stations are regularly scheduled inspection events at fixed locations. Some Fitting Stations require that you make an appointment to minimize waiting times.
Safer currently supports these Fitting Stations.
A car seat clinic is another free and convenient way to have your child's car seat inspected by a NHTSA-certified technician. Unlike Fitting Stations, car seat clinics are usually one-time events at unique locations and appointments are not required.
Safer car seat clinics are "first come, first served" events. Just bring your child and his or her child safety seat to receive personal instruction on proper installation and use. Car seat clinic dates and locations are listed on the Child Passenger Safety Calendar.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has developed a set of ratings for child safety seats based on their ease-of-use. Each seat is given an Ease-of-Use Rating at the A, B, or C level. Letter grades are also given in five categories:
For all ratings, visit: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/CSSRating/Index.cfm
If you mailed in the registration card with your current address when you purchased your child's safety seat, the seat manufacturer will notify you by mail of any recalls associated with your particular seat. If you did not register your seat, or have relocated, you can visit the web site for the manufacturer of your specific seat. Look for a "Product Registration" or "Recall" page within that web site. You will need to have the model number and date of manufacture from the seat itself. This information is located on the hard plastic portion of the seat, usually on a sticker on the back or bottom of the seat. Also see our list of Manufacturers' websites.
There are also several comprehensive recall lists compiled by reputable agencies. Again, you will need the model number and date of manufacture from your child's safety seat before you use these lists.
The law in New Mexico states that all children 5 and 6 years old who have outgrown their car seats have to ride in a booster seat, regardless of how much they weigh. Also, children ages 7 through 12 must ride in a booster seat until the adult seat belt fits them properly.
Click here for alternatives to booster seats for children over 40 pounds.
If your child is NOT riding in a booster seat, try this 5-step test:
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to ride more safely in the car. Riding in a booster seat is more comfortable, too!
Source: Partners for Child Passenger Safety
