As parents, you want your children to be as safe as possible while on the road. That’s why installing their car chairs correctly from the start is essential. Installing a car chair can seem daunting, but it’s pretty simple once you know what you’re doing. Whether you’re a first-time parent or need a refresher, following these steps will ensure your child’s car chair is installed safely and correctly. This step-by-step guide will take you from finding the right car seat to installing a car chair correctly in your vehicle. It will also cover the essential safety guidelines you need to know to ensure your child is safe while travelling in the car.
When choosing the right car chair for your child, there are a few things you need to consider. Firstly consider your child’s weight and height. Car chairs come in different sizes and are classified by weight groups. It would help if you also made sure that the car chair you choose is approved for use in your car. Let it help you get started!
Securing the Car chair
Now that you’ve got the car chair seat in the car, it’s time to secure it properly. This is an important step, as a properly-secured car chair will keep your child safe in a collision.
Here are the steps to follow:
1. Locate the seat belt path on the car chair. This is the route the seat belt will take through the car chair and around your child.
2. Open the car door and situate the car chair so that it’s facing forwards.
3. Lift your child and place them in the car chair, ensuring their harness straps are at or below their shoulders.
4. Close the car door and buckle your child in, tightening the harness straps until they snug against your child’s body.
5. Route the seat belt through the seat belt path, making sure to keep it low across your child’s hips. Buckle the belt and tighten it until it’s snug.
Adjusting the Harness
Now that you’ve installed the car chair, it’s time to adjust the harness. The harness should be snug against your child’s body, with no more than two fingers’ width of slack. Pull the red straps at the front of the car chair to tighten the harness.
To loosen the harness, push down on the red button at the back of the car chair and pull on the straps. Be careful not to loosen the harness too much, as your child could fall out of the car chair in an accident.
Positioning the Car chair
Now that you’ve chosen the right car chair for your child, it’s time to install it correctly. Here are the basic steps:
1. Position the car chair in the backseat of the car, ensuring it’s facing the correct way.
2. Buckle your child into the car chair using the harness system.
3. Position the car chair belt, so it goes over the child’s lap and across the chest, ensuring that it’s not twisted.
4. Close the car door after ensuring all straps and buckles are fastened, and then drive away!
Conclusion
Now that you know how to install your child’s car seat, it’s time to put it to use! Make sure to practice installing it before you have to do it in a real emergency, and always double-check that it’s properly secured before driving anywhere.
