Jeff Lupient: Important Information Regarding Car Seats

Jeff Lupient shares vital information about car seats.

Jeff Lupient: Important Facts About Car Seats

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When driving your car, your most important responsibility is keeping your passengers safe. If you're a parent, odds are your passenger is your child.

Every year, many children get hurt in car crashes. Because of this, it's paramount to use car safety seats properly. However, because so many different seats are available on the market, Jeff Lupient says many parents have difficulty choosing. To help out, he shares some important facts about car seats for children, which could aid parents in choosing the best and safest car seat for them.

On seat belts

If you install a car seat using the car's seat belt, Jeff Lupient says you must ensure the seat belt locks and holds the seat tightly. In a majority of newer cars, you can lock the belt by pulling it all the way out before allowing it to retract. It will keep the seat belt tight around the car safety seat. 

In addition, car safety seats come with built-in lock-offs, which means you can lock the belt, and you don't have to lock the seat belt separately. 

You can check the vehicle owner's manual for details on how your seat belt locks.

On the safest spot in the car for children

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The safest place in a vehicle for children younger than 13 is the back seat, according to Jeff Lupient. If possible, it may be best for the child to ride specifically in the middle of the back seat. That said, installing a car safety seat tightly and securely in the middle is sometimes challenging, especially if the vehicle seat is narrow or uneven. Many vehicles don't have lower anchors for this position.

It is safest and best to put the car seat in a position where you can install it tightly and securely with either the lower anchor system or the seat belt. Jeff Lupient mentions that in some cases, this position may be on one of the back seat's sides, not the middle. Child passenger safety technicians (CPST or CPS technicians) are available to help you decide which place is best to install the seat in your vehicle.

On features that absorb crash energy

There are load legs and anti-rebound bars in rear-facing seats that help absorb the energy of a crash. Load legs decrease forward rotation in the initial phase of a car crash. On the other hand, anti-rebound bars protect the child during the second phase of a car crash from rearward rotation, explains Jeff Lupient.

More discussions and information about car seat installation and safety will be featured on this Jeff Lupient page.