New
research from Chicco USA finds many children spend four or more hours in their
car seats weekly, underscoring the importance of car seat safety
Any parent knows toddlers don’t sit still for long. But a new survey of U.S.
parents finds that a significant number of young children, 42 percent in fact,
spend four or more hours in their car seats in a typical week. The new
research, commissioned by Chicco®, comes as car seat
safety advocates marked Child Passenger Safety Week (September 19-25)
and Baby Safety Month this month.
According to the
survey, which polled 1,004 U.S. parents of kids aged 8 and under, car seats
rank among the top-3 purchases parents spend time researching, with the other
two being buying a home and solving the daily household conundrum – what to eat
for dinner. But new parents, especially, don’t always know what to look for
when researching car seats and may not be aware of the newest materials
available to keep children comfortable and eliminate chemicals of concern in
car seat fabrics.
To provide parents
with helpful resources when it comes to proper car seat installation and
safety, Josh Dilts, Child Passenger Safety Technician at Chicco, shares the
following tips:
- Look for these elements when researching a car seat. When parents ranked baby products they spend the most
time researching, car seats (49%) topped the list, underscoring the
importance parents place on choosing the right car seat. Almost half of
parents (47%) registered or purchased baby gear online in the past year,
with car seats ranking as the #1 registry item. Many parents may not know
where to start when it comes to car seats and Dilts advises parents to
prioritize three features: ease of installation, child comfort, and child
fit.
- Use easy at-home tests to ensure your child’s car seat
is installed correctly. While
parents may think they are taking all the right steps when it comes to car
seat installation, 55% of parents do not know or are not sure what the
‘inch test’ is, a crucial check to insuring a child’s car seat is
installed securely. To make sure the car seat is secured correctly within
the vehicle, place both hands at the car seat installation belt path and
pull side to side and front to back. If the car seat moves more than one
inch in any direction, uninstall and start the process over. Always check
your instruction manual or instruction videos for installation.
- Avoid hand-me-down car seats when you can. A surprising third (34%) of parents use an older
sibling’s car seat, hand-me-down from a friend or family member, or
purchase a used seat via sites such as Facebook Marketplace. And 26% of
parents didn’t know or were unsure if car seats expire. While it’s not
necessarily unsafe to re-use a car seat from a family member or friend, it
is extremely important that you know the car seat’s history and check both
the expiration date and outstanding recalls. You can always find the white manufacturer’s label on the underside of all Chicco car seats and bases.
- Winter coat protocol: With the weather turning cooler in the coming months, it’s a good idea to clear up confusion about winter coats and car seats. 40% of parents say it is recommended for a child to wear a winter coat in a car seat with a five-point harness or they are unsure. However, best practice is to remove baby’s bulky coat before car rides as it can give a false sense of harness tightness. In a crash, down or poly fill compresses, which means, underneath all that fluff, you have a child in a harness that is too loose.
“At Chicco, it’s our
mission to develop new car seats that feature top-of-the-line safety features
and innovative comfort, along with providing the resources needed for an easy
and secure install,” said William Hasse, Vice President of Marketing, Chicco USA.
“With both Baby Safety Month and Child Passenger Safety Week in September, we
wanted to shed light on the top factors parents should be taking into
consideration when choosing a car seat to ensure children are staying
comfortable and safe while on the road.”
READ MORE: Safe and sound
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This year, Chicco
released two new fabric innovations, ClearTex® and Adapt, to give parents
greater options when it comes to choosing a car seat. Made without added
fire-retardant chemicals, the ClearTex® line employs an innovative
construction of polyester fibers to produce fabrics that are inherently
fire-resistant and gentle on baby. To help keep a comfortable microclimate, the
Adapt line is fully outfitted with fabrics using patented 37.5®
Technology, which employs natural volcanic minerals to help keep children at
the ideal relative humidity of 37.5%.
For more information about
Chicco products, visit www.chiccousa.com.
About the Survey: Conducted in August
2021, Engine Insights collected data via a CARAVAN Parents Omnibus to obtain a
national and statistically projectable sample, surveying 1,004 U.S. parents of
children ages 0 to 8 living at home.
Artsana Group, maker
of Chicco Products, is a leading European company with global headquarters in
Como, Italy and worldwide expertise in everything for baby. The Chicco brand
was founded over 60 years ago and is now in 120 countries. Chicco has become a
household name for parents across the United States thanks to products like the #1-rated KeyFit® Infant Car Seat as well as their many product lines
in gear, baby feeding and care, all designed for safety, function, style and
performance.
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