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The Importance of Car Seat Ratings: They're Not Just Numbers

Picking out the right car seats for your children can be a tricky task. When you go into it uninformed and unenlightened, you'd give in to your first impulses as a buyer. You'd fall prey to misconceptions, like: the most expensive seat should be the most durable and useful one. Or, the biggest seat should be able to serve me for a longer time than ordinary-sized seats. No! You have to do as much research as you can before plunging into such an important endeavor. Getting the best deal for a good car seat may well save you a pretty penny, and certainly save your baby's life! Know your child car seat ratings and save yourself the pain of wondering: did I pick the right one?

Car seat ratings could tell you which seats have fulfilled which specific standards set by federal authorities on child safety implements. Among the aforementioned federal authorities is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has a website devoted to traffic safety at www.nhtsa.gov. Among the highlights of this website is its section on child safety seats, which features an Ease of Use Rating page. The statistics on the Ease of Use Rating page go by the results of extensive testing by qualified child safety professionals. It is a must-read for all parents who wish to know the caliber of the seats they plan on buying.

The NHTSA's Ease of Use Ratings system may seem to focus just on that: ease of use. But in fact, it throws in a lot of factors about child safety in the bargain. For example, one of the factors it observes - Assembly - may spell out the total quality of the seat. Should you happen to miss a vital assembly instruction for a complicated seat, you may be exposing your baby to extreme risk.

Ratings are useful for picking out the most important aspects of a seat: should you be faced with the dilemma of choosing between two seats of the same price, which have different features, ratings would definitely help you narrow down your options. A seat you happen to have your eye on may have a C rating in Installing features, while another seat may have a C rating in Securing the Child. Which feature would you rather prefer your baby's car seat to have a C rating in - or would you rather not have a C rating for any of your seat's features at all? Bear in mind that the NHTSA uses the popular A-B-C grading system used in most schools, where A means superior quality. If you're a truly conscientious parent, you would stick to seats that have a B rating, at the lowest.

Paying attention to car seat ratings may well save your baby's life. It's important to listen to authorities and not take any risks. Your baby will grow up to thank you for your caution!