Why You Should Buy a Convertible Car Seat Sooner Rather than Later
Head injuries to children in auto crashes are a significant concern. Most crash tests, including the government standards, do not measure what happens when a child comes into contact with another part of the vehicle. However Consumer Reports recently dove into this issue and the results were surprising.
The crash test specifically sought out to discover how often a child, who is secured in a traditional rear facing infant carrier car seat, comes into contact with the front seatback.
Testing of a group of 30 different infant seats with a detachable carrier found that a 22lbs dummy, representing an approximate 12month old child, suffered a head strike against the front seatback a staggering 53% of the time. In a rear facing convertible car seat, the same dummy only impacted the front seatback 4% of the time.
Tests found the longer shell found on convertible car seats and the shape of the convertible car seat itself provided much needed space between the dummy’s head and the seatback preventing direct contact of the head.
What does this mean to you? Height matters. Most car seats are identified by weight limits however height is also a key component. If your baby has less than an inch of space from the top of their head to the top of the carrier car seat, it’s time to upgrade to a rear facing convertible car seat. Keep in mind, the same seat can be turned around when the child reaches the age of 2. Making the switch now will provide additional head protection when it matters most.
