Child Passenger Car Seat Safety

Contact:  Michelle Martine, 845-808-1400 x 44122

Description of each restraint type:

A REAR-FACING CAR SEAT is the best seat for your young child to use. It has a harness and in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord.

A BOOSTER SEAT positions the seat belt so that it fits properly over the stronger parts of your child’s body.

A FORWARD-FACING CAR SEAT has a harness and tether that limits your child’s forward movement during a crash.

A SEAT BELT should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain the child safely in a crash. It should not rest on the stomach area or across the neck.

Source: http://www.safercar.gov/parents/RightSeat.htm (The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration)