Parents want to do everything they can to protect their children, including setting them up with a safe, properly installed car seat. Car seats come in all shapes, sizes, and designs, so choosing one that fits your vehicle well and is appropriate for your child’s age, height, and weight is essential. With their car seat program, finding assistance with car seat installation in Milwaukee is much easier.
Ease Your Car Seat Installation in Milwaukee Worries With This Program
Installing a car seat can be tricky. However, programs such as the Wisconsin Car Seat Program help parents ensure that their car seat is installed correctly and safely. If you’re a Milwaukee parent, check out the Wisconsin Car Seat Program to access resources to help make sure your kids are safe in the car.
Car Seat Safety
Car seats are essential for protecting children during a motor vehicle accident. Each year, thousands of children are injured in car accidents. Unfortunately, kids younger than 12 who die in car crashes are often not appropriately buckled or in a correctly-installed car seat. The CDC reports that many child restraint systems are misused and that up to 46% of car seats and booster seats are misused and can become ineffective in an accident. This is staggering, and parents should know the dangers of misusing car seats! Having proper car seat installation in Milwaukee can help with this.
Types of Car Seats
There are many car seats and booster seats to choose from. First, parents must know which seats and installation positions are most effective for their child’s age, height, and weight. From birth until between ages 2-4, children should be buckled in a rear-facing car seat until they reach the seat’s maximum height and weight (this varies by car seat and state laws). Car seats should never be installed in the front seat of a vehicle. Under current Wisconsin law, children must use a rear-facing car seat until they are at least one year old and 20 pounds.
Car Seat Guidelines
After outgrowing the requirements for rear-facing, kids should use a forward-facing car seat until around age 5. When children outgrow their rear-facing car seat, parents should switch them to a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they reach the height and weight maximum of the car seat. Under current Wisconsin law, children must use a forward-facing car seat with a harness until they are at least four years old and weigh at least 40 pounds.
When children outgrow the forward-facing car seat, they can switch to a booster seat that should be used until the vehicle’s seat belt fits correctly. Typically, the car’s seat belt fits properly without using a booster seat when kids are between 9 and 12 years old. The seat belt should be placed across the child’s shoulder bone, down the middle of the chest, and away from the neck. The lap belt should be placed across the hips, below the stomach. If the seat belt cannot be worn correctly in this position, your child still needs a booster seat. Children under 12 are always safer in the vehicle’s back seat.
If you are unsure what type of car seat and installation your child needs, there’s no need to stress. Safe Kids Wisconsin has a car seat calculator for parents. Simply fill in your child’s birthday, weight, and height. Then, the calculator will help you with everything you need to know about what type of seat your child needs!
Resources for Car Seat Installation in Milwaukee
If you are a Milwaukee parent, resources are available to help ensure car seats are correctly installed. Safe Kids Wisconsin holds community events periodically throughout the year where parents can get their seats checked by a certified child passenger safety technician (CPST). In addition, parents can contact Children’s Wisconsin Car Seat Services at (877) 607-5280 to schedule an appointment or purchase a car seat. Virtual appointments are also available.
Video resources about car seat installation in Milwaukee are also available for parents here. From general questions about car seat safety and installation tutorials to infant seat harnessing information, there are excellent video resources for parents on the Children’s Wisconsin website.
Locations
Parents can make appointments for car seat installation in Milwaukee at these locations:
- Aurora West Allis Women’s Pavilion
- Children’s Wisconsin Car Seat Services
- COA Riverwest Center
- Franklin Health Department
- Greenfield Fire Department
- Lola’s New Beginnings
- City of Milwaukee Police Department
- Milwaukee Fire Department
- North Shore Fire Department
- Oak Creek Health Department
- Old Fashion Family Services
- Parvona Family Services
- St. Francis Health Department
- Wauwatosa Fire Department
- West Allis Health Department
Car Seat Installation Milwaukee
Car seat safety is something all parents should educate themselves in. After all, their kids will use car seats and booster seats until adolescence! Because of this, many great resources are available online. Parents can also make appointments at many locations for proper car seat installation in Milwaukee.
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