KEY FOCUS: Child Car Seat Safety

Health experts say you can help keep your kids safe in the car by following a key guideline when it comes to your kids’ car seats.

Brandi Thompson is the state Child Passenger Safety Coordinator at Blank Children’s Hospital.

“We really want parents to forget about their child’s age and really focus on their weight,” says Thompson.

She says a child’s weight is a better indicator as to when they can graduate from rear facing to forward facing and then from a five-point harness to a booster seat.

She says look at your car seat’s label. Many will allow you to keep toddlers rear facing until they’re 35 to 40 pounds.

Thompson says rear facing is really the safest way for kids to travel.

“What the car seat is actually designed to do is come forward and cocoon the child between the car seat and back of vehicle seat. And, this car seat moves with the child until everything comes to a stop in the crash,” says Thompson.

Child safety seat technicians check car seats and answer questions at a monthly check. It’s the first Thursday of every month at the new Bob Brown Chevrolet location in Urbandale.

It’s from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and you do not need an appointment.