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#7 Harness straps: your child's
link to safety
The harness holds your
child in his seat to protect him in a crash (A).
Some safety seats have just a harness; others have a
harness attached to a shield. A harness is no less safe
than a harness and shield combination.
Four Facts about the
Harness:
- The straps must fit
on strong parts of the body:
the shoulders and hips.
- The harness must be
adjusted for a snug fit.
- Rear-facing seats:
The straps must be at or
below the baby's shoulders.
- Forward-facing seats:
The straps of most models
must be in the top-most slots. They pass over a
strong support in the framework of the shell.
Leaving
them in the lower slots could be dangerous in a
crash.
Read manufacturer's instructions for your seat,
as
some models are constructed differently.
Using Rear-Facing
Safety Seats
Infants ride facing
rearward until they are one year old and weigh
at least 20 pounds. A snug harness is important in this
position. In a crash, the shoulder straps hold your baby
down in the safety seat.
Infant-only seats usually
have just two straps which go over the shoulders and form
a "V" when buckled (B). There may be one
or two sets of harness slots. Shoulder straps should be
in the lowest slots for the newborn. Straps should be at
or below shoulder level.
Use a harness retainer
clip to keep straps on your baby's shoulders. Put the
clip at mid-chest, armpit level.
Warning: When adjusting harnesses or
changing strap positions, take extra care! A metal slide (C)
may be used to shorten or lengthen the straps. The end of
the strap must be threaded up and down through the
openings, then back through the first opening to "lock"
it (C). If the strap is not locked, the violent
force of a crash could pull it out of the slide and allow
your child to be thrown out of the seat.
Using Forward-Facing
Child Safety Seats
Some safety seats for use
by children over age one and 20 pounds are "convertibles"
that also can be used by babies facing the rear. Other
models are for use facing forward only. These may have
different minimum and maximum weight limits. Check the
instructions for each model.
If your child's seat is
a convertible model, two adjustments must be made for
use facing forward.
- Put the seat in the
upright position, which gives the best protection
for a forward-facing child. The reclined position
used for a rear-facing infant does not protect
well when used facing forward.
- The shoulder straps
must be moved up to the top set of slots (D).
These are reinforced to withstand the force of a
crash. If a convertible seat has a middle set of
slots, they must not be used in the forward-facing
position unless the instructions allow it.
Forward-facing models
that are not convertibles also may have several sets
of strap slots. You can choose the ones that fit your
child best. Move the straps up when your child's
shoulders reach the level of the slots.
When moving the straps
up, be sure to thread them completely through the
shell, not just behind the pad. Straps on older seats
must go over or around a metal bar on the frame, so check
the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
Harness straps are
adjusted in different ways. Some tighten
automatically to fit the child. Others have a dial to
turn on the side or a strap to pull in the front (E).
A few have a metal adjustment slide like the one pictured
for the infant-only seat (C). The strap must be
doubled back over the slide to prevent the harness from
coming loose in a crash (C, see above).
If there is an adjustable
crotch strap, keep it as short as possible to hold
the hip straps or shield down low.
Put the shoulder strap
retainer clip (chest clip) at armpit level to hold
the straps in place.
The way
you install and use a safety seat makes a big difference
in a crash! If the harness is loose, your child could be
thrown out in a crash.
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