Car seats: Make sure the belt is fastened tightly enough

By RELAXNEWS | 20 August 2019


BERLIN: If you have a car seat with an integrated belt, you're probably afraid of pulling it too tight, lest you make life uncomfortable for the little one.

However, this could potentially do the child more harm than good, experts say.

In the event of an accident, a child can easily slip out of a seat if they're not strapped in tightly enough, according to Germany's Auto Bild magazine.

A good rule of thumb is that you should not be able to fit more than one hand between the belt and the child's chest, the experts say.

And if the child fastens their own seatbelt, it should always be checked before you set off.

As a general rule, children should use a car seat until they are between 8 and 12 years old.

If a child is too small to use a normal seatbelt, an accident could cause them to slip out of the diagonal belt, leaving them at risk of internal injuries caused by the lap belt.

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