Have You Had Your Car Seat Checked by a Professional?

Yes, I have had both the infant seat and the convertible seat checked out by our local seat checkers and have been very glad to have done so. The service was FREE but you had to wait a few weeks to get your appointment, so I recommend that you plan ahead. Get the fit checked BEFORE you swap seats or BEFORE you bring home baby.

Our inspectors wanted to see her in the seat to check the strap height and fit and how tight we had the straps on our own. If you did not yet have your baby, they showed you with dolls.

They also looked at everything in the car and made recommendations about accessories (like mirrors - no) and reminded us not to bundle her up with heavy jackets because that could affect the safety of the straps.

If someone has not found an inspector in their area, keep looking. Well worth the time. You need to be familiar with your seat, but that peace of mind is priceless. I did not worry "is my daughter's seat installed right?" when I was rear-ended. I knew it was. We had no major mistakes but minor ones (like a little too much wiggle in the base) could be bad in an accident.

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Yes. But we need to get it checked again, because we're ready to turn it face-forward. Thanks for the reminder & link.

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YEP! I go with my vehicle, car seat AND child. And I go at least twice a year just to make have it checked. I'm finally confident in my ability to install the seat but feel its always good to have it checked by a professional.

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Our hospital sent a nurse out to check ours after all three births. As the seats got bigger, I THINK we've been installing them right....this issue is so strange, because it seems like there is only one way to install them....?

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I was trained on car seat installation a few years ago when I was a nanny. I wanted to be sure children I cared for were safe in my vehicle so I got certified. Now as a mother, imeven happier I've been trained.

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yup! i think it was when a campaign was on t.v., maybe www.seatcheck.org or something like that. i thought it was super cool b/c those things are HARD for me to get in. i know most people can but they're hard for me.
anyway, it was actually a nurse from the local hospital contracted w/that organization & she was trained how to install. so she showed me, installed it, and explained it. it was really awesome. VERY thankful for that!

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Yep - I took my minivan to the fire department and had them verify it was installed properly - I THOUGHT I had it in tight enough - I didn't - I was SURPRISED by how much more they were able to tighten it.

Now we're out of car seats...I have the booster and there are no "installs" on that one - but you are SOOOO right - the majority of people do NOT have them installed properly.

GOOD FOR YOU FOR PUTTING THE WORD OUT!!

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Yes, our local AAA does this service for free even if you are not a member. It was helpful. We did have our seat in correctly, but she reminded us that loose articles in the car can be deadly in an accident. We have an SUV so anything in the back can fly over.

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Absolutely! Did with my 12 year old all along the way. Even after it had been installed correctly I'd get it checked every few months to make sure it was tight enough because it loosens. Now I'm lucky enough to work at a daycare where many of the moms are trained to install them so I can get my baby's checked whenever I want for free!

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The infant seat I had checked. The rear facing seat I had checked. Now she's in a booster so I know she's good.

It would also be nice if more mom's not only had the seat checked, but were instructed on how to strap the kid in! It's called a chest strap because it belongs on the chest, not the stomach. It needs to be snug, not loose. The straps need to be flat, not twisted. I tried telling one friend, in a very nice way, that her kiddo would go flying out the top of his carseat because of how loose he was and the chest strap was on his belly. She laughed and told me this is her 3rd so if it hasn't happened yet she's not worried about it. Um, it's your 3rd kid, but you're never been in an accident.......

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We did. We have a Yucon that for some reason, car seats don't like to install in it. We have to use a no-slip shelf liner, and a towel to make it work right. When we initially got our seat, we could NOT get it to fit. So we took it to a saferiders seat check, and they showed us the shelf liner trick. :) When we moved up to the convertible seat, we got it checked too.

One thing that surprises me though is that many parents never check the car seat once it's installed, or they never adjust the strap to accomodate the child. The vibrations of the vehicle will loosen up the straps holding the seat in, and it doesn't matter how well it's installed if your child isn't strapped in correctly.

I was in a car accident right before I got pregnant with a woman who had her 3 month old in an incorrectly installed seat... the seat was tipped completely sideways in her car. The woman also had one of those mirrors so she could see her son, which was thrown at him in the collision. (it was the kind that snaps to the headrest... it seemed pretty secure, but not in comparison to collision forces.) The poor kid. The saferiders people told me that even though they sell the mirrors and toys for carseats in stores, that it is NEVER a good idea to use them, for this very reason. In a wreck, they become a projectile aimed at your baby's face. The baby wasn't seriously injured, but the EMTs who responded said that had we been up to full speed, the baby would likely have been killed. (The woman ran a R. light, and we had slowed down to make a turn, and hit her. Had we been going straight through we would have hit her full force.) After seeing that, I became EXTREMELY anal about car seat safety.

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Yes! When I first heard that there were professional car seat technicians I didn't think much of it. But then I actually started hanging around with the ones we're blessed to have in my community and I was AMAZED at the info I got from them. Installing a car seat correctly relies on so many things. Their manuals are several inches thick! For instance, for my vehicle, even though my oldest son is technically big enough for a small booster seat, because we don't have head rests he has to have a high backed booster. I have also learned that some styles of seats are very hard to install in some types of vehicles. And then of course there's the huge debate about when to turn a child around to face forward. My youngest didn't turn around until she was three and I still should have waited until she was four since she's such a shrimp. And since I've started learning so much from them, I'm amazed at how often I've started noticing children that aren't in the right type of car seat at all. My brother came to town recently on a visit and his 2 yo shrimpy son was in a booster seat. My brother had no idea that not only was he breaking the law not having J in a proper seat (leave it to a single dad to not pay attention >.<) but he actually had no idea that J shouldn't have been in a booster. He thought a car seat was a car seat. My community holds fairs about 2x a year where the booths will be set up to check car seats but we also have several organizations (our police station, some of the pediatrician offices, and a couple of non profit organizations) that will do it any time during the year with an appointment. A couple of the organizations even have a grant to help underprivileged people get really good car seats when they would otherwise be trying to buy them used (which should never be done under any circumstances even if you know the person and you think you know the history of the seat).

I get my kids seats checked about every 6 months or so. Car seats can go out of code very quickly and even if you think your seat is still good, it may not be. It's also good to talk to them because they may have heard of a recall you may have missed (another good reason to never get a used car seat). I think it should become common practice that when you buy a new car seat you go to a technician to have it installed correctly and to make sure you have the right style not only for your vehicle but your child as well. Especially for brand new parents!

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Both of our car seats were installed by the police, along with their instructions and tips. I'm not surprised by the stats. I see single carseats (as opposed to when there are more than 1 child) behind the front passenger seat, which is the least safe location. I also see tons of kids in their carseats with their coats in on inclement weather, which is highly unsafe.

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Yep! My local police station provides the service. We've taken both cars there twice, since my son is on his second car seat. It's amazing how much tighter they can get the car seat than my husband and I can!

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We've had them checked a few times over the years. We have to switch them between cars occasionally and its annoying when we have to move to an older car with no latch system but we can still install them correctly.

I do wonder how people put them in wrong. Its pretty simple. . .

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YES just last month I saw the highway patrol booth in a parking lot at the mall. They were checking car seats so I pulled in. (maybe I was bored) I didnt have my grand daughter with me but her car seat is in my car. I asked if they would tell me what I'm doing wrong if anything. I knew I didn't have the tether strap hooked and never have. I didnt know the anchor was in the roof, not the bottom of the back of my jeep. I hadn't looked at the car owners manual for it and I suppose I should have. But I also knew her car seat was gettng too small for her. I told them the straps come out of the back of her seat just below her shoulders and knew that was a no no. They asked me how tall and what she weighed. I knew, and sure enough, her seat is too small for her as a 5 point harness seat, but it's intended to be used as a booster when she is at the age old enough for that. So she is big for her age and can't use it that way for a while. The next thing I knew, they were installing a brand new big car seat in my car. Showing me how, and explaining why. I thought they were just demonstrating but noooo,, They GAVE me a new car seat, her size,, FREE! They said it was the last one they had for this inspection so how lucky am I? WHAAHOO!! It's nice, has 2 cup holders, a new buckle without food stuck in it, and fits in my car great! And is now tethered to the roof anchor so she is safe! They let me keep my other seat too. It's no where near expiration and is useable for a booster later. I was thrilled! Well worth my time. (o:

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Our local police department's CSO (Community Service Officer) checks them for you if you bring your car in to the station. Call your local police department and check with them.

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My husband did it prior to picking our kids home from the hospital and I just did it through our local police department ( 4 years later). Man the way she got the seats locked in (via seat belt) and what we were doing was night and day.

They now don't move more than a 1/2 an inch. Rock solid and WELL worth the time. Everyone should do it, I guarantee you you will be shocked.

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We have a local state police barracks with a drive in area where they can check and re-install your seat. Very handy and I learned alot!

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Yes, we have our local police do it. From what I understand most police are willing to do it for you, we just call, set up a time to go up and have it installed.

I sure do. Every time there is a check we go and pass with FLYING colors. My husband ROCKS! They are actually SHOCKED how well of a job he does because it's in there SOOOO good.

Yes, every time I got a new seat(I've had more than most I think), and every time they looked at it, they said it was installed perfectly and even joked I should be inspecting/helping people with car seat installation. I am bit anal and over protective when it comes to car seat safety. I see my Dad install the seats in my Mom's car and I take them out and reinstall even though he thinks he did it right, he never gets it. There is always something he misses, a twisted strap or crooked seat or not tight enough fit. Even when he buckles the kids in, he knows how he is supposed to do it, but the chest straps are not at armpit level or one of the straps is twisted, etc. It blows my mind how this happens. And then I think all people should have a touch of OCD when it comes to car seat installation and buckling children, but alas, my OCD in this area seems to be rare. I am joking a bit here, but in all seriousness, people just don't take this seriously enough. I wonder if perhaps the fact that there is a carseat unlike when we were kids and so they have a false sense of safety thinking just having the seat is enough. We were in a car accident two years ago, I have a spinal cord injury from it, my daughter was with me, 3 years old at the time and had no injury at all, nothing. she was safe and secure in her britax car seat installed correctly and she was completely protected. I on the other hand, only in my seat belt, not so much. Too bad we can't all have that kind of protection in a car. I wonder when they will start installing 5 point restraints for the rest of the passengers, I sure would feel a lot safer riding around.

Prior to leaving the hospital with each birth the hospital checked our seats. We just upgraded to larger seats for each child and have not had those checked nor do I know where we could go to have it done (i just googled and came up with nothing) so we are just going to have to trust in our abilities to get it right. Each time they were checked they were correct so hopefully that means we know what we are doing.

No - I haven't. I'd like to, but there doesn't appear to be a car seat check place within 60 miles of my city. I even called the fire and police departments but neither of those check car seats.

No I haven't but only because every place I've tried has led to a dead-end. I mean, come on - I live in Chicago! We certainly aren't rural by any means! Every number I tried with seatcheck.org came up dead, tried the CFDs in our area and got nada, and then tried the locals near me and was told they didn't do that sort of thing. Of course, this was back in 2007.

Now, I just watch all the Britax videos for the models I have and make sure they're installed correctly.

I have not had it checked. I work on Saturdays and that is the only day I have found that they do the checks in my area.

However: I have done LOTS of research in this area, and am trying to become a tech myself, so I'm confident that mine is installed properly. I also rear face longer then the legal limits (legal doesn't mean safest). My son is 2.5 and 31 lbs, and still rear facing. He likely will be RF for at least another year.

No, I have not had our car seats checked, but I read the manual at least 30 times, so I am pretty sure I am OK.

We did and the guy said we were connecting it way more than we needed to but that couldn't hurt anything. We thought we needed to do everything the manual showed us. He said we had several choices in the way to hook it up. It was so simple it seemed like a waste of time.