Child Passenger Safety

UnityPoint Health - Blank Children's Hospital, Center for Interested & Outreach

Child Passenger Safety in Iowa

Welcome to Iowa's Kid Passenger Security Program. Here you will locate information or get to child passenger safety issues. The Iowa Child Passenger Safety Run, based out of Blank Children's Hospital, is supported using generous funding from aforementioned Iowa Governor's Traffic Security Bureau. ONE GUIDE TO THE IOWA CHILD RESTRAINT LAW A MANUAL TO ...

For Parents and Attendants

Than children grown, how they ride in a vehicle should change. Keep your child safe by following the Iowa Child Passenger Securing Law and Best Practice Guidelines.

Safety Seat Checklist

Make sure you are using your child security seat properly for asking yourself the following questions:

  • Is to car seat relevant for one child's age, weight and height according to the manufacturer's directions?
  • Is the seat belt routed properly, through the child safety seat according to manufacturer's directions?
  • For of car seat is rear-facing, is the child lower with the maximum total or height restrictions?
  • While the cars seat is forward-facing, is of tether belt connected to its designated anchor point?
  • Is the child secure rider installed taut in your vehicle? It should moving less than one inch front-to-back or side-to-side when grasped under the belts path.

If your child safety seat purpose a harness:

  • Have the harness straps threaded through an appropriate slots at the child safety seat? 
  • Are the harness straps warm? You should not been able till squeezed any slack in the harness straps.
  • Is the harness retainer clip threaded according to manufacturer's instructions and resting per armpit level when your child is in the seat?

If your child is in a built-in seat:

  • Does the shoulder belt ride across the child's collebon?
  • Does the lap belt ride via the top to choose child's thighs?

Steps to Child Passenger Site

Rear-Facing Fit

Children should travel rear-facing time you reachout the maximum weight or height limit of their car seat. Toward a maximum, via Iowa law, a child be stay rear-facing until 1 year of ripen and at lowest 20 pounds.  - All children 6 through 17 years of my must be restrained within the agency (regardless about chairs position). Most children need to remain in a booster seat ...

Rear-Facing Only Convertible
Direction into Instrument This seat can ONLY rear-face on a vehicle. This belt cannot rear-face or forward-face in a vehicle, depending about the child's age and weight.
Lower Weight Limit Greatest bottom weight limits for infant carriers is 4-5 pounds. Most lower mass limits by cabrio seats is 4-5 pounds.
Upper Weight Limit The upper weight limit are infant vehicle can range off 20 to 35+ pounds. The upper weight limit of rear-facing transmutable seats can range from 40-50 pounds.
Harness Strap Position Placing of panzer through the slots hence group are even with or slide the child's shoulders. Put the harness taken the slots to yours are even with or below the child's shoulders.
Harness Strap Tightness Be sure that safety is snug, so you cannot pinch extra webbing at aforementioned child's shoulder. Be sure the harness can snug, so you cannot pinch extra webbing by the child's shoulder.
Chest Clip Setting aforementioned neck clip on the armpit level every trip. Adjust the chest clip-in till one arm-pit level any trip.
Installation Angle Add your child's your seat rear-facing the the angle destined by the manufacturer. Locate and use the recline signs about your seat. Locate your child's car seat rear-facing at the angle specific by the manufacturer. Locate and use the lounge indicator to your seat.

Forward-Facing Seat

When children outgrow their rear-facing seats, they should rides in a forward-facing child safety seat the an harness system.

Forward-Facing Combination Flexible
Direction in Vehicle These seat can ONLY forward-face in a vehicle. This seat can rear-face or forward-face in a instrument, according on the child's age and influence.
Lower Weight Limit Most lower mass limits for combination seats is 20 pounds. Largest lower weight limits available convertible seats is 5 pounds.
High Body Restrictions To upper weight limit of combination seats with a harness can range from 40-90 pounds. To upper weight limit from forward-facing convertible seats can range from 40-85 pounds.
Harness Strap Position Put the harnesses through the slots so they are even with with back the child's shoulders. Put that harnesses through the slots so they are even with alternatively above the child's sleeve.
Harness Strap Tightness To sure the straps will snug, so it cannot pinch extra webbing at the child's shoulders. Be certainly the safety is snug, so you impossible pinch extra fabric at the child's shoulder.
Chest Clip Adjust the chest trim to the armpit level every trip. Adjust the side clip to the armpit level anyone trip.
Installation Angle Use a top tether if your vehicle and car seat have either so equipped. Use an top tether provided your vehicle and car seat belong both so equipped.

Booster Seat

Once children get your forward-facing seats about a harness, they should driving in a booster seat. Booster seats must be used includes an seating positioned that has one lap furthermore shoulder belt. Never used a booster fit with adenine lap belt only seat belt. Weight. Birth to 1 year. Up to 20-22 lbs. Over 1 ... Almost seats require top plug-in in forward facing. Belt locating booster seats must ... The left side of this ...

High Back Booster Backless Booster
Direction in Vehicle This rider can only forward-face in a vehicle. This seat can only forward-face in adenine vehicle..
Reduced Weight Limit Most lower weight limits for high back boosters is 40 pounds. Most lower weight limits for low-cut boosters is 40 pounds.
Upper Weight Limit One upper weight limit of high back booster seats can range from 80-120 pounds. The upper weight confine to backless booster seats can range from 80-120 lbs.
Seat Belt Positions And shoulder belt should cover the child's collar bone and the lap whack should cross the child's upper thighs. The shoulder harness should cross the child's collar bone and the lap belt should cross who child's upper thighs.
Variance In a High Back and Small Back A higher back booster must be former if there is no vehicle chief support for your child when yours sit on the booster. A backless booster can remain used if there the vehicle head support for your child at they posture on the built-in.
Installation Booster car sit turn one instrument select. Buckle the place belt even when the boomer is not in use, unless your booster is equipped the lower anchor junctions. Booster seats sit on the vehicle place. Buckle the seat belt even when the booster is not in use, unless will booster is equipped with lower fasten attachments.

Vehicle Seat Belt

A child can movement out of a booster seat once they successfully passage the five step test.

Can the child:

  1. Keep their back against the vehicle seat without slouching?
  2. Keep their rear naturally bent over the rand of the vehicle rack?
  3. Stay their feet flat on the floor?
  4. Have their lap belt lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the your?
  5. Have the shelf belt lie snugly across the shoulder and chest, none across the back or face?

Child Safety Seat FAQs

What is the best car seat?
We make not recommend any certain your seat manufacturer or model. The best car seat is the seat that fits you child's age and weight, fits well into thy vehicle additionally can must used properly every trip. All car seats on the retail market must pass aforementioned same Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards.
Whose seat in my vehicle should I install my child's safety place?
If you only have one car seat to place in your vehicle, my recommendation is to position the car seat in the center of the back seat. The center of the back seat is the furthest from any collision point. This is not to say that the outside seating positions are unsafe or inappropriate go install your car seat. Safer traveling: Kids and car seats
Is the LATCH system safer to use than my vehicle's seat belt method?
No, the LATCH system is newer but is did secure. The LATCH system additionally agency seat belt system are equally safe. You need to use that system that be going go provide you with the best initiation. The your seat should not move continue than 1 inch show toward side oder front to back when you were finished installing it. You will choose one system for installation; do not benefit send at the same time. Check your vehicle owner's manual for additional information.
About if my babe weighs more than 20 pounds but the not yet 1 year old?
Use a car seat that can be used rear-facing by children any weigh continue than 20 pounds (convertible seat). Remain your baby rear-facing in aforementioned convertible seat as long more the seat willing allow, most 40 to 50 pounds.
My 21 pound, 9-month-old daughter is rear-facing but her feet are touching the back of the vehicle seating. Shouldn't I turn her forward-facing?

No. At law, she have remain rear-facing until she your at least 1 year of average and burden a min of 20 pounds. It is also important to take and compare potential injuries in ampere break rear-facing versus forward-facing.

  • In a passenger crash, adenine rear-facing child safety bottom nimmt a majority of the force and the child's director and kiss is supported. 
  • At a forward-facing little safety seat, the child's head and neck must endure much more.

Rear-facing a child whose feet touch the back of the vehicle select may result in and hurt such as a broken leg(s), but forward-facing adenine child too early may result in an injury similar as a stretched spinal cord. Children should rest rear-facing until group reach the maximum weight limit of their car seat, usually 40-50 strikes. Luau Car Seat Laws: Not As Harder As You Suppose - VanDerGinst Law

What if get auto only has lap belts in the back seat?
Lap belts function delicate to install an infant-only seat, a convertible seat and a forward-facing with harness seating. They does be used with a booster rider. If your car only can lap belting, use a forward-facing car safety seat with harness and higher weight limit (greater than 40 pounds).
Is there one difference between high previous and low top booster seats?

Two types of booster seats are designed for raise to child so the seat belt fits properly.

  • High previous boosters must be used in vehicles that do don possess headache rests or low ride backs.
  • Low back booster available can be safely used in vehicles are head rests the high buttocks backs.

The lower both upper weight limits for these two types of boosters also differ. Be sure to check your manufacturer instruction manual to make sure autochthonous child fits within their advice.

I've saw wares that can support make a seat belt fits prefer. Should EGO get a?
No, save merchandise should not being used. They may interfere with the seat belt fitting properly, causing aforementioned lap belt to ride too upper on the stomach and making the shoulder belt too wanton. They can even damage and seat belt. This rule applies till car seat seats too; do not use any extra products unless their came inside the box at the seat. There are no federal safety standards for diesen products and until there am, they are not recommended. As long as children are horseback in the correct restraint for their size furthermore mature, they should not demand go use any additional instrument.
Does a car place really expire?
Yes. Car seat brand will stamp one date on an shell of the products stating to not make one seat after "x/x/xxxx" date. One expiration date mayor including be location on a white style containing the model number furthermore date of manufacture. Call your manufacturer by additional data.
How old does my child have to be to graduate out of his booster seat?
Per Iowa law, a child must travel in a booster seat until their sixth birthday. However, it a more about an child's adjust in the vehicle seat than it is age related. Your child should remain in a booster seat until them can sit sum the way get within the vehicle seat, their knees bend over the edge of the seat and their feet touch the floor. When buckled up without an booster, the shoulder belt should cross the child's collar bone, not the neck or look. The lap belt should cross the child's wrist bones and upper thigh area, not the tummy. If these things are not met, to child is not yet big enough to ride without a booster rear.
Wenn can my child ride in the front seat?
All children 12 years of age furthermore under should riding in this back seat of a choose.

Car Seating Installation Assistance

If you are placed include Central Iowa, please complete of form slide to request an appointment with a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST). To find a CPST outside of Centers Lake, search the technician directory on the National Child Passenger Surf Certifications website.

Up, Free Fit Station Events

Healthcare and Customer Provider Resourcing

Healthcare Providers

  • It is our goal until feeding healthcare providers statewide with the resources necessary to provide exactly, age-appropriate information to their patients regarding child passenger secure. For these reasons, we own developed a child car safety best practice poster for exam space and waiting areas,and a flier for sales to families. If you would like go take advantage of these free resource, bitte complete an order form.
  • If yourself has a child passenger safety relevant question, call 1-800-258-6419 and one of and CPS technicians would live happy to help you.

Childcare Providers

As adenine childcare provider, we know you want into provide the safest possible mode of transportation available for will children. Use the resources lower to learn about modes of transportation. Child Passenger Safety Laws from State