Car accidents have been known to be one of the main causes of deaths among teenagers and most especially children. This is the reason why parents should take extra care in making sure that their children are safe when they are inside a vehicle, whether it may be moving or parked. With this need for car safety for children, car seats were invented and introduced.



Over the years, car seats have grown to be more popular as more and more parents have taken caution and have recognized their importance. There is however different types of car seats available in the market and each one correspond to a specific child age group or where some opine it is the weight of the child that gives the more decisive basis for getting a type of car seat. It is important that parents know this in order to get the right car seat that is appropriate for their babies and their toddler.

For babies, the parents should get a baby car seat that is rearward facing. This kind of car seat can hold room for babies that are aged from birth up to 12 or 15 months, whose weight can be as heavy as 10 kilograms or 22 pounds until 13 kilograms or 29 pounds. Babies are more out of harm's way if they are protected as they are facing the rear of the car and cosseted by the seat. With a rear facing car seat safely securing them in, they are cushioned from the bumps and jolts that the stirring car may go through. The seat shields and supports the head, the neck and the spine of the baby. It is preferred to place this rear facing car seats in the rear as compared to placing them in the front of the car. It is advised to never place the seat in front when the car has a passenger airbag as this could suffocate the child; hurting them instead of keeping them safe. It is recommended that you use rearward facing baby car seats for as long as your baby can fit on it. You will know your baby needs to move on to a bigger seat if her head is as high or even higher than the crown of the car seat or if her weight is or has already exceeded the maximum.

As your child outgrows his rear facing seat, you need now to get her a forward facing seat. This type of seat can hold a toddler of 9 to 18 kilograms or around 20 to 40 pounds, whose age could be between 9 months to 4 years old. The important factor with forward facing kid car seats is the harness that keeps the child safe in place. This should prevent the child from sliding off or bouncing in front out of the chair in case there is a collision or if dad accidentally puts on the brakes too hard. Just the same, it is favored that this seat be placed in the rear and to keep your toddler in such a seat until his age or his weight tells you to move on to the next level.