UC Davis Health Care System, Injury Prevention Program, California

When choosing a child safety seat, remember

• The best and safest seat is one that fits your child, fits your vehicle and is easy to adjust, so you can do it correctly every single time.
• Choose a child safety seat that is the right size for your child. Check the manufacturer’s instructions for weight limits.
• Before you purchase a child safety seat, try locking and releasing the buckle. Try adjusting the harness. Is the adjuster easy to use? Make sure the adjuster is in a position that is easy to reach and operate when the child safety seat is secured in the vehicle.
• Try the child safety seat in your vehicle. Some safety seats fit in some vehicles better than others. Choose the seat that fits tightly in your vehicle. Read your vehicle owner’s manual and the safety seat instructions.
• All new child safety seats come with a registration card. On the card is the model number of your seat and the date it was manufactured. Fill this card out and register it with the manufacturer so that you can be notified of any safety recalls.
• A child safety seat that is more than six years old should be replaced. Most seats have an expiration date on the shell. Normal wear and tear may cause the seat not to work as well as it did when it was new.
• Avoid using a secondhand child safety seat, especially if it was bought from a yard sale or a thrift shop, because you won’t know the seat’s history.
• If you have problems with your child safety seat or want to report a defect, contact the manufacturer as well as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Auto Safety Hotline at (888) 327-4236.

UC Davis injury prevention child passenger safety program

Our mission is to decrease preventable childhood deaths and injuries through research, education and community outreach.

Our program offers:

• Child safety seat inspections by appointment
• Multilingual car seat classes to the public
• Child passenger safety education for health care workers
• National child passenger safety technician training
• Multilingual child passenger safety materials
• Community child safety seat inspection events
• Child safety seat resources for low income families