Safe Kids Worldwide recently launched a campaign to educate parents about the use of tethers on front-facing car seats.
Until your child turns two years old or exceeds the height and weight limits, he or she needs to ride in a rear-facing seat. Chances are, as expectant parents, you prepared for baby’s first ride home from the hospital by making sure you knew how to properly secure the rear-facing car seat. But as babies become toddlers, many parents find themselves less prepared to properly use a front-facing seat. 64% of parents do not use the tether on a front-facing car seat.
What is a Car Seat Tether?
There’s a strap with a hook dangling off the back of your child’s car seat. The hook needs to be secured to an anchor located in your vehicle. The location of the anchor varies depending on your vehicle’s make and model, but there will be a symbol showing a car seat and a ship’s anchor. Look on the back of the seat, on the ceiling, or on any surface behind the seat. Then, attach and tighten the strap.
Why Use a Tether?
The tether works kind of like an upper seatbelt strap for the chair itself, to prevent it from lurching forward. The tether strap tightly secures the front-facing car seat to the vehicle. When used properly, the tether prevents the car seat from tipping forward when your vehicle stops suddenly. This prevents your child from hitting their head.
You can check out the infographic, and if you want to be sure that your car seat is installed properly, find a car seat safety check near you.
