RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Ambulance Authority's child passenger safety seat technician says proper installation is crucial for child safety, regardless of car seat price point.
The Richmond Ambulance Authority (RAA) is helping parents ensure their children's car seats are properly installed and up to date.
Veronica Ruffin, a child passenger safety seat technician with RAA, demonstrated the proper installation of a basic convertible car seat.
"It's important that no matter how old you are, every passenger is safe," Ruffin said.
With numerous car seat options available to parents, the longtime captain explained that a higher price doesn't necessarily mean better protection.
"I say it's always nice to get what's like all fancy on the shelves, but if your pocket can only just purchase something on the lower end, your kid is still protected, because we have standards on what a seat has to have to even be on a shelf to be purchased," she said.
Ruffin warns parents to be cautious when purchasing car seats online.
"Here in the States, we take a certain standard towards car seats, and so we have a certain material. We have certain bells and whistles, as far as like harnesses and types of seats," she said.
For proper installation, Ruffin recommends first clearing out the back seat, including the floorboard.
"I know that we all tend to live in our vehicles," Ruffin said. "I do too, but for the safety of an infant or a toddler in the back, especially when toddlers are still growing and they like to pick and pull at everything."
The next step is ensuring the car seat is in the correct position with at least one inch of space between the passenger seat and the car seat.
"Some of the seats come with a bubble on the side, like a little visual of where you should be with the seat," Ruffin said. "This seat just has a lever in the back, so you can just basically say that's reclined, good enough for a basic, you know seat."
When securing the seat with a seatbelt, Ruffin demonstrated the proper technique.
"We're going to feed it through the bottom of where the child's legs would actually be," Ruffin demonstrated. "You're going to pull on this seat, and as you put some weight on the seat, you're pulling back on the seat belt, and you're feeding it back. This is a perfect fit, so the seat right here should be tight. This is a tight fit."
After securing the seat, parents should fasten their child using the five-point harness.
"You want to make sure that this harness meets them at their shoulders, and that it's a snug fit," Ruffin said. "And that when you do put them in, you use every piece of the five-point harness, and once it's in and clipped, you don't want to be pinching any more than just a little bit. If you're pinching more than this much material, then it's not snug enough."
Ruffin recommends regularly checking that the seat hasn't shifted over time. The basic rear-facing convertible car seat demonstrated is the standard for children until they are 2 years old.
Based on her experience with accident scenes, Ruffin emphasized the effectiveness of properly installed car seats.
"I have seen cars at their worst, and I've seen intrusions to the front and the rear, and babies are probably the safest in the car because they have the toughest seat," Ruffin noted.
RAA is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers assistance with car seat installation for parents with concerns.
For families struggling to afford a car seat, Ruffin encourages reaching out to RAA, which can connect them with the DMV and other agencies that provide assistance and often free car seats.
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