Choosing the right car seat for baby

Even though the nursery is barely filled (except with books) and we have tried our best to get everything second hand, there was one thing I inisisted on buying brand new: a car seat. The general advice is don’t trust a second hand car seat unless you know someone really well and trust their driving history, so we decided to do our research and get a brand new one.

I found the RACV (our local automobile association) Child Restraint Evaluation Program website very useful. The restraints were rated according to how well they protect a child in a crash and how easy they are to use. The last evaluation was done in 2009: here is a pdf of the results. If you live in outside of Australia, the Consumer Search Car Seat Reviews are comprehensive as well.

The RACV tested restraints in three categories; Rearward-facing restraints for babies, Forward-facing restraints for young children and Booster seats for older children. We decided to choose a convertible car seat that would last from birth until baby is 18kg (about 3-4 years old) and ended up buying the IGC GoSafe Cleo, which we found was the best rated in both the rearward-facing (6th best) and forward-facing (5th best) categories overall.

The next challenge is fitting the restraint to the car. The RACV has this advice:

1. Don’t fit the restraint yourself. Use a Restraint Fitting Station for advice and training on installing and using the restraint.
2. If possible, fit the restraint to the centre position of the rear seat, because it will offer better protection in a side impact crash.
3. Always keep the instructions that came with the restraint in a safe place, like the glove box. This will help if you need to know how to adjust straps or fit the restraint again.
4. Every time the restraint is used check that the top tether strap (if there is one) is firmly connected to the anchor point.
5. Every time the restraint is used make sure there are no twists in any straps or belts, and that these are taut and firm, but not too tight and rigid.

We installed the seat ourselves: I figure we’ll learn more this way than getting someone else to do it. We’ve both read the car seat manual and car manual thoroughly, and it wasn’t really that hard. However, the statistics seem to tell a different story:

Approximately 70% of child restraints are not installed correctly. A child restraint that has not been fitted properly can result in serious injury or even the death of a child in a crash.

Many parents/carers fit a child restraint into their car themselves believing that it is easy. However it is a skilled task that needs to be learnt correctly from a restraint fitter, or at least have the restraint checked before placing your child in the car.

Therefore, we’re planning to get everything checked at a restraint fitting station nearby. Better to be safe than sorry, having your own child hurt or killed in a car accident is not something you want to be responsible for. If you live in Victoria, the RACV has a serach function to find your nearest restraint fitting station. Good luck finding a professional restraint fitter in your location if you’re overseas!