Is An Old Car Seat Acceptable?

A concerned mother recently asked. "My friend's children are all grown and she has an old car seat that she has given me. But I'm wondering if it is ok to use this seat with my child? Is my friend really doing me a huge favor?"

Experts would say absolutely not. The following are some important safety tips that are very crucial when considering a child safety seat.

1.) You should always avoid using a used car seat (even if it's in great shape). There are many factors that make the seat safe. First of all; every year new safety ratings rank car seats. Some other factors include child’s size, weight and height of a child and whether or not it's an infant that needs an extra head rest.

Car seats that come from yard sales or consignment shops may also have a bad history that you might never know. Absolutely never use a car seat that has been in an auto accident. Car seats that are purchased at consignment shops or yard sales may also be missing important parts or may have been in an auto accident which can cause the seat to be defective.

2.) Always look on the label for the date the seat was made. Many manufacturers recommend car seats only be used five to six years and absolutely do not use after ten years. Older car seats may have visible cracks which may lead to unsafe situations. If the car seat does not have a label with a model number and manufactured date you have no way of knowing if the seat has been recalled. If you seat does not have an owners manual or instructions you may be using it incorrectly.

Not only is it the law to have your child in a car seat but you are helping yourself. Parents that try to drive while holding their child are usually so distracted that they are putting more than just their own life and their children's lives at risk you are risking the life of all the other drives on the road. Car seats can become pricy but it is worth the price to have a car seat that you feel is protecting your child correctly.

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For quality car seats and other baby products I recommend www.mystrollerstore.com Natalia Bonner owner-mystrollerstore.com