PSA: How to properly use a seatbelt to lock a carseat

[JTsyo]

So yesterday I was in my friend's car and he had his child seat in there. I told him I liked to use the latch system since it doesn't slip as much while he likes to use the seat belt since it meant to be used with adults. When I mentioned I didn't like the give in the belt he told me how to lock it. I'm surprised it's not mentioned on the instructions on child seats. Click here and you can learn too

I kid but here's how it works.

-Pull the seat belt all the way out
-Buckle in the seat
-Feed back the belt until it's tight
-To release the lock, feed the belt all the way back

On my car I could hear a ratcheting sound once the lock was engaged. Should work with all newer cars.

 

[MrChad]

So many people install car seats improperly or switch their kids to age-inappropriate seats / positions too early. This is a huge pet peeve of my wife's.

 

[TwiceOver]

You didn't know how to lock down seatbelts until now? You basically just repeated what the carseat manual already tells you.

 

[JTsyo]

You didn't know how to lock down seatbelts until now? You basically just repeated what the carseat manual already tells you.

I used the latch system for the car seats but didn't see anything in the manual for locking the seat belt.

 

[Baked]

I just put my 3 year old nephew on the back seat of my coupe and strap him in with the seat belt. car seat is too complicated.

 

[MrChad]

I just put my 3 year old nephew on the back seat of my coupe and strap him in with the seat belt. car seat is too complicated.

I hope for your nephew's sake that you're trolling and not being serious.

 

[Wyndru]

You can also put your knee into the car seat to get some weight on it to make it tighter when you are feeding it in. Car seats are supposed to not sway more than an inch in each direction. The seats I install rarely budge at all.

 

[LookBehindYou]

I kept my son in the pocket behind the passenger seat until he was too old (about 1 or so). Then I put him in the trunk. He turns 8 in two weeks, he'll finally be able to ride in the backseat without seatbelts if he wants.

 

[rivan]

I kept my son in the pocket behind the passenger seat until he was too old (about 1 or so). Then I put him in the trunk. He turns 8 in two weeks, he'll finally be able to ride in the backseat without seatbelts if he wants.

I couldn't afford the optional pockets in my car. Luckily my son loves bungee cords, so he usually just holds on to a pair of those I've superglued to the carpet.

 

[ReggieDunlap]

I live in Italy, the LATCH system is not available here believe it or not. No U bolts welded to the frame for the latch system so you can only use the seat belts. Since most of the seat belts are the passive restraint kind - belt only "locks" with sudden stop - sol you have to use the metal locking clip included with the seat.

I must say though, that may car seats here dont secure as tightly as you can secure them in the states.....I get grief all the time from my wife cause Im hyper-attentive to hooking up the seats etc.

ALSO, here they put Infant carriers in the FRONT SEAT!!!! The airbags have a key to turn them off, so people will actually install the seats up front. Completely legal and acceptable here, but no F-ing way Im setting up that way.

 

[EagleKeeper]

In Colorado, they encourage you to have the seat installation verified by a LEO.

 

[waggy]

In Colorado, they encourage you to have the seat installation verified by a LEO.

IL has the same.

though when we had the first child we took a parenting class. they went over the car seat and how to properly put it in.

We had the latch system so we just used that. its easy and secure.

but OP you are right. i have seen a few parents who have no real clue on how to put them in.

 

[MrChad]

In Colorado, they encourage you to have the seat installation verified by a LEO.

I'm assuming that LEO = Law Enforcement Officer. Do they receive special training / certification for car seats (e.g. http://cert.safekids.org/)? Because otherwise I don't see why they would be more qualified to verify an installation.

 

[waggy]

I'm assuming that LEO = Law Enforcement Officer. Do they receive special training / certification for car seats (e.g. http://cert.safekids.org/)? Because otherwise I don't see why they would be more qualified to verify an installation.

yes. the local stations have 2-3 guys that are trained in hwo to put them in right (really!).

There is more then getting the seat belt right. you are supposed to have them at a specific level and other crap. they secured it tight and had it leveled right.

 

[dabuddha]

Not all seatbelts do this. The ones in my grand caravan don't while the ones in my camry and grand marquis do.

 

[WelshBloke]

Isofix>seatbelt fixings

 

[Phoenix86]

I'm assuming that LEO = Law Enforcement Officer. Do they receive special training / certification for car seats (e.g. http://cert.safekids.org/)? Because otherwise I don't see why they would be more qualified to verify an installation.

Even if they didn't receive a cert I would still expect them to know more about it than your average parent since they enforce the laws surrounding them.

 

[TwiceOver]

yes. the local stations have 2-3 guys that are trained in hwo to put them in right (really!).

There is more then getting the seat belt right. you are supposed to have them at a specific level and other crap. they secured it tight and had it leveled right.

My wife was all about having someone check out her car seat install just being a wary first time mother and all. The local PD and FD did do this, but only for people on WIC (wellfare or whatever). I was floored by this.

 

[rivan]

My wife was all about having someone check out her car seat install just being a wary first time mother and all. The local PD and FD did do this, but only for people on WIC (wellfare or whatever). I was floored by this.

Bizarre.

Our PD and FD both will do it. The FD even supplies free water noodles for under the seat to make it tighter if needed.

 

[sactoking]

My wife was all about having someone check out her car seat install just being a wary first time mother and all. The local PD and FD did do this, but only for people on WIC (wellfare or whatever). I was floored by this.

Check out your local women's/mother's groups, many of them offer this service to all mothers.

 

[JTsyo]

My wife was all about having someone check out her car seat install just being a wary first time mother and all. The local PD and FD did do this, but only for people on WIC (wellfare or whatever). I was floored by this.

that doesn't make any sense. Do they expect you to pay someone to do it?

 

[TwiceOver]

that doesn't make any sense. Do they expect you to pay someone to do it?

We also went to a parenting class for first time parents and the hospital offered a 1 hour session for installing car seats. She wasn't allowed to attend that either because she wasn't receiving a free car seat from WIC.

 

[rivan]

We also went to a parenting class for first time parents and the hospital offered a 1 hour session for installing car seats. She wasn't allowed to attend that either because she wasn't receiving a free car seat from WIC.

What a load of crap.

 

[surfsatwerk]

I was under the impression the belt wrapped around the child's head. That way, in case of an accident, the child's head could be cryogenicly frozen until we can grow it a new body.

 

[dabuddha]

I was under the impression the belt wrapped around the child's head. That way, in case of an accident, the child's head could be cryogenicly frozen until we can grow it a new body.

Why bother when you can put the head in a jar