Acadian Ambulance Shares Vital Car Seat Safety Tips for Child Passenger Safety Week
Sep 21, 2026 04:11PM ● By Kelsey Swire
This week marks Child Passenger Safety Week, and Acadian Ambulance is encouraging all parents and caregivers to take a moment to ensure their child’s car seat is properly installed and appropriate for their age, height, and weight.
“National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows that car seats cut the risk of fatal injury by up to 71% for infants and nearly 60% for toddlers,” says Dr. Chuck Burnell, Chief Medical Officer at Acadian Ambulance. “Proper use of car seats saves lives. Buckle up every ride, every time.”
Car Seat Safety Tips:
Keep children rear-facing as long as possible: Keep your child rear-facing until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by their car seat's manufacturer. Most modern convertible seats allow children to ride rear-facing up to 40–50 pounds.
Check for a tight installation: Follow both the car seat instruction manual and your vehicle owner's manual. Once installed, the car seat should not move more than 1 inch side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path.
Position the chest clip correctly: Keep the chest clip fastened at armpit level, never over the belly, to ensure harness straps stay securely over the child's shoulders.
Know when to switch to the seat belt: Car seat anchors (LATCH) have strict weight limits. Check your car seat's manual to see when your child gets too heavy for the anchors and needs to be secured with the vehicle’s seat belt instead.
Always check labels and manuals: Every car seat model and vehicle is different; never assume installation steps are the same across different seats.
In recognition of Child Passenger Safety Week, National Seat Check Saturday on September 26 offers a great opportunity to get free guidance on properly installing and using the right car seats for your children. Find a nearby inspection location using NHTSA’s Car Seat Inspection Station locator.