Car Seat Safety/Proper Restraint

I have always made sure my kids were properly restrained in the car--even driving in the neighborhood or on rural country roads. People may have felt I was a little over-cautious at times, but after the experience we have been through it has solidified my desire to keep my children safe, no matter the cost or convenience. 

Several years ago, I posted about car seat and booster safety. I remembered how those videos had impacted the way I restrained my children in the car. The videos below are different than the ones previously posted, but they still send the message of how proper restraint is critical in surviving an accident.

This first video is about the importance of rear-facing car seats. In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a new set of guidelines for car seats. It used to be that the recommendation was to keep your child rear-facing until they were 1 year-old and 20 lbs. Now, "...the AAP advises parents to keep their toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat." - See more at: http://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendation-on-Car-Seats.aspx#sthash.wf1nLDFP.dpuf

This new recommendation is different than what I did with my previous children. I have to admit that I was very anxious to turn my kid's car seats around when they were 1 year-old. It was a big milestone, and it seemed that my kids were happier and more content in the car. When I first heard about the new recommendation, I thought, "No way am I going to keep my child rear-facing for that long!" However, after seeing how unscathed Jonah was in our accident because he was properly buckled and rear-facing, I realize the wisdom in this advice. Now, he will be AT LEAST 2 years-old before I change his car seat around.

This video is about the importance of a 5-point harness. This one hits particularly close to home for me, since Andrew's seat belt failed during our accident. If he would have had a car seat with a 5-point harness, he most likely would have come away from the accident without a scratch. We are so lucky he is still with us.

If you live in Utah and you watched the Superbowl, you most likely saw this commercial. It was a shocker and caused a lot of controversy, to say the least. However, the message is valid and I believe it caused a lot of people to realize the consequences of not buckling up.