• Children should remain in rear facing car seats for as long as possible.

• Children should stay in some sort of car seat until at least 8 and a booster seat until the seat belt hits them properly.

• Child should remain in the back seat until at least 13 years old.

• No bulky coats between car seat harness and child.

• Do not leave child in car seat when not in the car.

• Find the right car seat style for your child by going to nhtsa.gov/right-seat or talk to your Iris staff member.

Many cars may have safety recalls and their owners do not know. Making sure your vehicle is in safe working order can help prevent accidents and keep you and your children safe.

How do I know if I have a recall on my vehicle?

To learn if your vehicle has any safety recalls, go to nhsta.gov/recalls. You will need to know your vehicle’s VIN number. You can find this by looking at the sticker on driver’s side door frame or on your registration. After searching, it will tell you if you have any recalls and what they are.

What do I do if I have a recall on my vehicle?

Manufacturers are legally required to fix safety defects at no cost to you. If you have a recall, call an authorized dealer. This can be found by searching “(Make of your car) Authorized Dealer”, and let them know your vehicle has a recall that you’d like to schedule to get fixed.

Best Practice vs State Law?

In Indiana, state law states that a child can be in rear facing car seats until 2 and can ride without a car seat starting at age 8. Best practice would instead be to keep your child in their rear facing car seat until they have reached the height or weight limit for the rear facing car seat and to stay in a car seat until they can sit properly in a regular seat and have the seat belt hit them snugly. We also recommend children do not ride in the front seat until 13 or 14. This will help ensure they are as safe as possible.

How to know if your child is in the right seat?

The product manual for your child’s car seat should list weight and height limits. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has a guide where you can search for the proper seat based on age, height, and weight of your child at nhtsa.gov/TheRightSeat.

Additionally, you can talk with your Iris staff member to figure out the right car seat.

For sleeping babies, remember ABC.

To ensure your baby is sleeping safely, remember that they should always sleep Alone, on their Back, in a Crib.

If your baby falls asleep in their car seat:

If your baby falls asleep in their car seat, do not leave them in their car seat when they are not in the car. Babies should sleep on their backs in a crib, so transfer them to a crib after you get home if they are already asleep.

Learn more about Safe Sleep.

You can learn more about Safe Sleep for your baby by going to irisfamily.org/safe-sleep

Avoid bulky clothes when in their car seat.

Bulky clothing such as winter coats can make it so the straps do not have a secure fit against your child causing them to be loose during a crash or even allowing your child to slip out. “Car Seat Coats” are also not considered safe. An alternative would be to remove your child’s coat, secure them in their car seat, and place their coat on them backwards.

Airbags and your child’s car seat.

Be aware of any side airbags that may be in your car and disable if next to a car seat since they can do considerable damage to a child. Your car’s manual will note the location of airbags and have instructions on how to disable them.

Dangers of heat in your car.

Due to insulating heat, the interior of a car is often much warmer than the temperature outside of it. That additional heat can lead to heatstroke for both children and adults. During warm weather, turn on the car’s air or open the windows to allow the interior to cool before strapping your child into their car seat. Additionally, never leave a child unattended inside of a car.

Projectiles.

During a crash or sudden stop, loose items or even unbuckled seat belts can become projectiles and hit children and others inside of the car. It is advised to secure loose items, even small ones, inside the trunk of your vehicle. We also recommend buckling any unoccupied seat belts.

Safety around vehicles.

When getting prepared to drive, check your surroundings, behind, in the front, and to the sides of your vehicle, to ensure no children are playing near it. Additionally, never allow your children to play around the car to help teach them to be cautious around vehicles.