Our Maxi-Cosi baby car seats are among the safest you can buy, but they need to be fitted and used correctly, everyday for safe travel and maximum protection. In Australia, research suggests that more than 70% of all child car seats are incorrectly fitted, or are the wrong size. This could be a twisted belt, or using the wrong seat for your child’s age or size. Even moving a child out of a child seat too soon is dangerous and risks your child’s life in the event of a collision. At Maxi-Cosi we take safety extremely seriously.
Here are our Maxi-Cosi top tips for car seat safety:
Always use a car seat, even on short trips
It’s obvious, and it’s the law, but we still sometimes see children travelling without a car seat. Accidents can happen, even on the shortest trips.
Avoid second-hand car seats
You can never be sure a second-hand car seat is a safe car seat. You don’t know if it’s been damaged in an accident, or has pieces missing. At Maxi-Cosi we recommend that you should buy
Use the correct size car seat
It’s best to buy a car seat for your child’s current height and weight, then buy the next size up. Avoid seats that claim to cover all ages in one.
Install car seats correctly
- Baby car seats must always be rear facing.
- If you have ISOFIX in your car use an ISOFIX car seat, it’s easy to install the seat to the anchor points.
- If you don’t have ISOFIX you can use a seat belt installed car seat. Make sure you know how to guide the belt correctly and pull the car seat belt tight.
- Pull the car seat’s safety harness tight. If you can just slip one finger between the harness and your child’s chest, it’s tight enough.
- Read the car seat manual or watch the installation video and follow the instructions carefully.
Take your child’s coat off
A thick coat can make the harness less effective. If your child is cold, use their coat as a blanket over the harness.
Make sure the safety harness is at the right height and not twisted
The harness should be at shoulder height. Check there are no twists in the straps.
Use a rear facing car seat for as long as possible
It’s safest for babies and toddlers to stay in a rear facing car seat until they are at least 15 months old. It doesn’t matter if their legs stick out, but if their heads are higher than the seat shell, they need the next size.
Keep loose items off the rear parcel shelf
In an accident, even small loose items can turn into dangerous projectiles. Tuck them away safely. Follow these tips and enjoy lots of fun, safe outings with your child.
Recommended Links
- Our Top Rules - Buying & Installing Baby Car Seats.
- Car Seats For Taxis / Grab / Gojek - Top 10 Features.
- What Does i-Size Mean for Baby Car Seats?
- We answer the 16 most asked questions about baby car seats
- Choosing The Right Baby Car Seat For Singapore.
- Choosing The Right Baby Stroller.
- Follow our facebook page for the latest deals.
