CHILD CAR SEAT SAFETY TIPS

There is no good outcome from any car accident, regardless of how minor the incident. However, using the appropriate types of child car seats correctly means you can prevent or minimise harm to your child.

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I recently met a mother who said she always holds her 1-year old daughter on her lap when travelling in the car because “the baby hates her car seat and always cries when we put her in it.” We’ve therefore included this article, as this mother’s mistake is genuinely scary and a good reason to remind parents that babies and children must never be given the choice about whether they “want” to ride in a car seat - it’s the law! According to UAE traffic law: “children up to four years of age must be provided with a child safety seat. Violators will be fined AED 400 and slapped with four black points. The front seat passenger should also be at least 145 cm tall and not younger than 10 years old.”

It is firmly proven that baby and child car seats significantly reduce the risks of fatal injury in infants and toddlers in the event of a crash. Given that this is staycation season and many of us will be spending more time on the road this month, it’s useful to run through this quick check to make sure your child’s car seat is appropriate for them - especially if you haven’t done a road trip for a while!

CHOOSING THE CORRECT CHILD CAR SEAT

If you’re a new parent or have never had to worry about purchasing a car seat before, how do you know whether your child needs a front-facing, rear-facing or booster seat? The short answer is that it depends on your child's age, weight and height.

Rear-facing infant car seats

These car seats are usually for children aged under one year old, but if your child can still fit in a rear-facing car seat until they are 1 to 3 years old you can use the seat.