Lutheran Children's Hospital inspects more than a thousand car seats each year. Was one of them yours? If not, Lutheran Children's Hospital wants to provide you with some basic information to help increase the effectiveness of your child's car seat.

1. Read your child restraint owner's manual for instructions on its proper use.
   
2. Follow the weight limitations recommended by the manufacturer of your car seat.
3. Check to see if your child's restraint has been recalled. A car seat may be recalled because of a defect that could injure your child. Manufacturers are required to fix the problem free of charge. If you are unsure as to whether or not your seat has been recalled, contact the Department of Transportation Auto Safety Hotline toll-free at (888) DASH-2-DOT. If your seat is recalled, use the seat until you get a new one. It is almost always safer to use the recalled one than letting your child ride with just a safety belt restraint.
4. Use the seat that is appropriate for the age and size of the child.
5. Use the correct belt path to attach the car seat to the vehicle seat.
6. Keep the retainer clip at armpit level on the child. Only one finger should fit between the clip and your child's chest.
7. Make sure the seat moves less than one inch when pulled at the base. When installing the seat, place your knee in the seat to add weight.
8. Do not use seats that are older than six years or have been in a crash. Never buy a used car seat.
9. For additional information on car seat and travel safety, go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Lutheran Children's Hospital statistics show almost 90 percent of all car seats inspected at Lutheran Hospital are installed incorrectly. Using a car seat that is improperly installed or damaged can have devastating results.

Lutheran Children's Hospital is a permanent fitting station. Car seat inspections on the hospital campus occur every Tuesday. There is no charge, however an appointment is required. The schedule for the inspections is:

• The 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday from 10am to 2pm.
• The 2nd and 4th Tuesday from 1pm to 5pm.

For more information or to schedule an inspection, call (260) 435-7887.

Other fitting stations in Fort Wayne include the St. Joe Township Fire Department. An appointment is necessary. For more information on the St. Joe Township Fire Department program, contact (260) 373-6820.

Know Indiana's car seat laws and adhere to them

• All children less than eight (8) years of age must be properly fastened and restrained by a child restraint system according to the child restraint system manufacturer's instructions.
• All infants must ride in a rear-facing infant seat until 1 year AND 20 pounds.
• Laws are not always the maximum safety standard.  Lutheran Children’s Hospital strongly recommends that parents:
  • Continue to place the infant in a rear-facing position in the infant restraint seat as long as possible (Riley Children's Hospital Study, December, 2007). Most convertible car seats will allow the child to remain rear-facing until 30-35 pounds.
  • Continue to place children in a car seat with a harness until the child reaches the weight or height limits of the car seat.
  • Once the child has outgrown the limits of the car seat, place the child in a booster seat until he/she is 4 foot 9 inches and approximately 80 pounds.
  • Place the child in the back seat until the child is 4 foot 9 inches, weighs 80-100 pounds, AND is 13 years old.