With back-to-school time in full swing its time to get back into your daily routine. Getting the kids dressed, get their lunches made, feed them breakfast, and get them into the car. Making sure that your children are safe when you’re on the road is a big deal. Road injuries are the leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to children in the United States. Correctly used child safety seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent.

If you have a younger child, putting the car seat in correctly and safely is crucial. Seventy-three percent of car seats are not used or installed correctly. Here are 5 things to do to make sure that your car seat is safe for your child:

1. Right seat- Make sure your car seat is appropriate for your child’s age, weight and height
2. Right place- Children must stay in the back seat until they are 13 years old.
3. Right direction- Your child should be in a rear-facing seat, until they are around the age of 2. When they outgrow the seat, you should move your child to a forward-facing car seat.
4. Inch test- Once your car seat is installed, give it a good shake at its base. A properly installed seat will not move more than an inch.
5. Pinch test- Make sure the harness is tightly buckled and coming from the correct slots. The chest clip should be placed at armpit level and the pinch strap at your child’s shoulder.

Another good tip is to be a good example for your kids and buckle up. Also, never leave your child alone in the car, not even for a minute. Make sure you follow these tips to keep your child safe!

Information found from: http://www.safekids.org/