Common mistakes you’re making with your child’s car seat

There’s no doubt keeping your kids safe while travelling is one of your top priorities. But these common mistakes made by parents can be costly. Here’s what you should look out for…

1. Make sure car seats are secured tight and not too loose.
2. The back of a rear-facing child seat should not touch the back of the front seat.
3. Use the right size car seat. One a child’s shoulders sit above the height marker or the harness strap slot, the child is too tall for that seat. Alternatively, if the shoulder harness is too high, your child is too small.
4. Not using the right seat for the age and size of your kid. There are laws and guidelines in place in Australia to clarify the right seat for your child
   
5. Never buy third party accessories or additions that didn’t come with the seat.
6. Setting up a kids seat at the wrong recline angle.
7. Not tightening the harness properly.
8. Buying a used car seat without knowing its history. We can’t all buy brand new, and used child seats are fine, just make sure you know its history first and make sure it’s still legal.
9. Dressing your kids in clothes that are too bulky. This can alter the size of your child and therefore how well they fit in the seat.
10. Not checking the position of the retainer and locking clip. The retainer clip should be at armpit level and the locking clip about an inch from the seat-belt latch.