Visiting a car seat inspection center (visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm for stations near you) is a great way to make sure your child’s car seat is installed correctly as we’ve said in a previous post. But if you don’t live near an inspection center, you may have no choice but to install your child’s car seat yourself. To reduce the risk of error, here are five steps you can take to make sure your child is seated safely.

1. Read all about it. Consult the instructions that come with the seat so you’re familiar with the seat before you try to install it. For example, whether you choose to install your baby’s infant car seat using your vehicle’s safety belts or with LATCH, with or without the base, you’ll need to follow the specific area in the manual that relates to your installation situation.

Also, check your vehicle owner’s manual for information on how to find and use your car’s LATCH anchors or safety belts with that car seat. Some car manufacturers also have a free how-to brochure or video that can help. Keep these instructions handy for future reference.

You can also find tips about car seat installation and use at the NHTSA site. The NHTSA site also has downloadable instructional videos on installing the various types of car seats with LATCH. Search NHTSA for “LATCH instructional videos.” Many car seat manufacturers also have an installation video on their Web site. Take the time to watch it before you attempt to install your car seat.

2. Don’t rush. When installing a seat for the first time, give yourself a good half-hour. If you can recruit a helper, even better.

3. Position the seat. The center rear seat is the safest spot. You may have to place the seat next to a door if you have more than one small child; if there isn’t a shoulder belt in the center (for use with a booster seat); if your LATCH-compatible vehicle lacks lower anchors in the center rear position and you don’t want to use the center-seat vehicle belt; or if using the center rear seat would make the child seat unstable.

4. Secure the seat. Use your weight to push the child seat into your vehicle’s seat (you may want to use your knee) while pulling the slack out of the LATCH strap or the car’s safety belt. With a rear-facing seat, adjust the angle as directed by the manufacturer, using the level indicator or other means to get the backrest close to a 45-degree recline.

With a front-facing seat for a toddler up to 40 pounds, use the top tether of the car seat. If the top tether is not in use, such as with a rear facing convertible seat, remove the top-tether strap or secure it so it doesn’t fly around and injure your child in a crash. Similarly, if you use the car seat belts instead of the LATCH belts to install the seat make sure the LATCH belts are secure so they can’t fly around. When you’re securing an infant or toddler seat with a car’s safety belt, you may need a locking clip for the lap belt so it remains tight. See the manufacturer’s instructions for details.
 
5. Check the seat every time you use it. Whenever you buckle your child in, try to shift the car seat from side to side and back to front. It shouldn’t move more than an inch in either direction. Make sure the harness straps fit snugly. Your overall goal: The seat must be buckled tightly into your vehicle and your child must be buckled snugly into the seat at all times.