Marcie Hunter: Terrible Fatal Accident

This accident happened on Sunday morning near Payson, Utah. A baby was sitting on the lap of it's mother and was thrown from the vehicle and died at the scene. This is such a sad thing to happen, but I think we can learn from the mistake these parents made.

It helps me remember why I insist on using car seats. I am a stubborn car seat user. I remember when I first had Audrey and people (my parents and grandparents mostly) complained about me strapping her in her car seat so tightly. My grandparents would say things like "We never put our kids in car seats and they are just fine". But I didn't budge. I know how important it is to use car seats, no matter what. Even if your baby is screaming, don't hold them while in a moving vehicle! A baby won't die from screaming in a car seat, but they could die if you get in an accident and they are on your lap.

Using a car seat isn't always enough though. For a car seat to be effective, it must be installed correctly. Car seats come with instruction manuals with all the information to install and use the car seat correctly. Here are some car seat safety tips:

Buy the right car seat for your child's size and age
Read the manual before installing the seat
Infants 0-12 months and smaller than 20lbs MUST be rear facing. Some safety experts recommend keeping babies rear facing till 35lbs. http://www.childrestraintsafety.com/rear-facing.html
Make sure the harness is buckled snugly around your child. Keep the straps over your child's shoulder. The harness should be adjusted so you can slip only one finger underneath the straps at your child's chest.
Place the chest clip at armpit level. I see a lot of babies with the chest clip down by their stomach.