Car seat and seatbelt safety for children

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND)- During holiday travels, many families will choose to drive instead of fly. For those that have kids, it may be hard to keep them strapped in their car seats during the ride.

But as every parent knows, as much as they may pester, keeping your child safe in their car seat is the right thing to do.

Isha McConkey, DO, a Family Medicine physician at OSF Medical Group, states “Anytime there is a car accident or any injury, you want to make sure that they are in a properly fitted car seat. If they are not in that seat, not only will they be at risk for injury, they will also be distracting the driver, distracting fellow passengers. There's a lot of risk to that.”

According to the National Traffic Highway Administration, children are recommended to stay rear facing in their car seat until they are three years old.

But there are some things to keep in mind before the transition.

Dr. McConkey said, "If you have a child from 0 to 2, they should definitely be rear facing. In fact, you want to keep them rear facing as long as possible even up to age four. But you’re going to have to check the height and weight recommendations on that car seat to make sure its safe.”

Not only should your child stay in their seat, but they should also never remove their sash belt, and make sure they keep the lap belt on their thighs

“So if you move it to the wrong location during an accident, especially the lap belt, if its over the stomach, you’re going to hurt internal organs and you want it on that bony structure on the hips. If you don’t have a shoulder strap here during an accident, you’re going to get a whiplash injury.”

If your child is wearing a puffy jacket, make sure they remove it before putting on their seatbelt. You want to prevent any extra space between the little one and the seatbelt in case an accident does happen.

“You only want to be able to fit two fingers under that harness. And so if you slip your fingers in and you’ve got a bunch of fabric or clothing there, its going to move around during an accident and you’re not going to have the harness where you want it.”

For individuals that see children not wearing seatbelts while in the car, Dr. McConkey mentions a program called 'Be a Buckle Buddy.'

If you call the number (1-888-800-2642), the program will send the family a packet on car seat safety, without issuing the family a ticket.

For those that are interested in having a car seat safety check, OSF Children's Hospital in Peoria does offer this service by appointments. Call (877)-277-6523 if you are interested.