Confused About Car Seats?

There are three main types of seats used to secure young children in cars. They are:

• Infant seats.
• Convertible seats.
• Booster seats.

Infant seats

These seats are designed for infants under a year old. Their neck muscles are not strong enough to resist much force. These are rear-facing seats, secured by the car's seat belts as well as a metal latch that is secured to the car. The seat is designed to protect an infant from birth to about 9 kilograms/21 pounds or about 1 year old.

Convertible seats

Convertible seats can face either backward or forward. They often have five-point harnesses. They need to be turned backward until the child can hold his or her head up and the neck and spine are strong (usually at around 12 months). This style of seat can be used until the child is about 18 kilograms/40 pounds or around 4½ years old.

Booster seats

Until recently, most parents would move their kids straight into a seatbelt after they outgrew their car seat. That can be a big mistake.

A child car seat is designed to protect someone who weighs up to 18 kilograms/40 pounds. Seat belts are designed for with a 75-kilogram/165 pound man in mind.

With kids, the lap belt tends to ride up on the abdomen and the shoulder belt often cuts across the face or neck. Children can be injured by seat belts that do not fit them correctly as well as by belts that are not worn correctly.

Booster seats were designed to correct this problem for most children between the ages of four and eight (or weighing up to 36 kilograms/80 pounds). They raise children to a height at which lap and shoulder belts can be worn correctly.

The booster seat is held in place by the seatbelt. It is not tethered to the car like a child car seat.

Children using seat belts instead of booster seats are 3.5 times more likely to suffer significant injury, and four times more likely to suffer head injury.