Four Car Safety Tips for Special Needs Children
Car seats can be frustrating enough on their own, but if your child has special needs, a car seat alone might not be enough for car safety. Here is some information that can help.
Use Car Seats that Are the Right Size
Pediatric Care Fairfax, VA: Car Seat Safety
It’s vital that the car seat you use for your child is the right size for her weight, height, and development. If you’ve got a car seat that is too big or too small, modifying the seat at all in order to try to fit it to your child is a bad idea. Any types of modifications that you make are not going to be safe. Make sure that you read the car seat’s safety manual thoroughly.
Get Help Installing Car Seats, if Necessary
Car seats are not always intuitive for people to use, even if you’ve got prior experience with car seats. The car seat should always be installed tightly and latched completely. If you’re having trouble at all with installing the car seat in your vehicle, there is help available. You can contact your local fire department and usually get assistance. Another great resource for car seat assistance is the National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Healthcare Needs. They can help you to find an installer in your area.
The Back Seat Is Safer than the Front Seat
It’s vital to remember that the back seat is always going to be a safer option than the front seat is. Never install a car seat in the front seat, especially if the car seat is a rear-facing seat. One of the biggest reasons for this is that front-seat airbags are dangerous for a child riding in the front.
There Are Options for Every Need
No matter what your child’s special needs are, there is a safety seat or method of seating that will protect her properly. The difficult part is automatically knowing the best option. That’s when the National Center for the Safe Transportation of Children with Special Healthcare Needs can come in handy again. You can contact that agency for help with your child’s specific needs, even if you’ve been unable to find an option to this point.
Keeping special needs children safe in the car is something that every parent can feel comfortable doing with the right safety tools and pediatric assistance. Safe travels mean that your child can enjoy days at school, at the park, and everywhere else, too.