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We can teach you how to install your child's car seat. We also have car seats and boosters available at a nominal charge of $20.00. These seats are provided to us by the Florida Department of Health and are just like a seat you would buy in the store. The monies collected are returned to the Health Department to replenish the supply. Please allow for 30-45 minutes for a proper installation. It is important that the child that will be riding in the seat be present at the fitting. If this is impossible, please have the age, weight, and height of the child. The program is a learning tool for the adult. We will instruct you on how to install the seat by showing you first and then allowing you to install the seat before you leave. We can also install the seat that you have or check the fitting of the seat you already have installed for no charge.
We have two certified techs that would be happy to show you how to install your child's seat or check the installation of how it is installed.
Donna Keaton - Station 3 Lauri McMahon - Station 3
To properly fit the seat, it is important to have the child present at the fitting.
Please be aware that if you are pregnant, hospitals will insist that you have an infant car seat installed before you are discharged.
Always fill out and mail the registration card that comes with your seat. This is important in the event of a recall or safety concern.
How to Properly Use a Car Seat
Here are a few tips for proper use and installation of your car seat:
* Always follow all manufacturer's instructions for both the vehicle and the car seat.
* Be sure the car seat is appropriate for the child's weight and height. The seat will have a sticker on it that will indicate what the ranges are for both.
* The back seat is the safest place for any car seat. The center position is the suggested preferred seating position but is not always available due to the design of the vehicle.
* Infants must ride rear-facing until they are both 1 year old and 20 pounds.
* The anchors and latch system is an alternative method of installing car seats - however, this method is not always available. Follow the vehicle manufacturer's book and the car seat's book for instructions and suggestions on where to install the car seat.
Latch and tether.
* Never use a car seat in a seat with an active front air bag, unless it is the ONLY seat that can be used (ex. pick-up trucks without a back seat).
The airbag must be turned off.
* Always check that the car seat is securely installed. The seat should be tugged on at the belt path and should not move more than an inch to either side.
* Read the vehicle owner's manual for information on other belt accessories that may be required such as a belt shortening clip or a locking clip.
Warning: Never use a locking clip as a belt-shortening clip.
They are not strong enough.
A locking clip is on the back of the seat.
* Do not use a car seat that:
** is more than six years old.
** has ever been involved in a crash.
** one that is missing the manufacturer label.
** is used, purchased at a consignment shop, or rented.
** is intended as a household booster seat or infant carrier.
* Set a good example and buckle up yourself!
Types of Car Seats and Boosters
On all seats the harness retaining clip should be position at the armpit level and tight enough that ony two adult fingers can slip underneath it.
5-point harness and retaining
clip
These are generalized standards. You should always follow the manufacturer's instructions for both the seat and the vehicle.
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Rear Facing Only Infant Seat * Rear facing only seat for an infant * Should never be installed in front of an airbag unless it can be turned off. * The top should be at a 45 degree angle backwards. * Harness straps should be at or below the child's shoulders in the back of the seat. |
Front and Rear Facing Convertible
* Front and Rear-facing Car Seat Follow manufacture sticker for height and weight. * Use in a reclined position of 45 degrees while in the rear-facing position. * Harness straps should be through the reinforced slots in the back of the seat at or below the child's shoulders if rear-facing and at or above the shoulders if front facing. (We have this type of seat available for $20.00) |
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Forward Facing Only Seat * Forward-Facing Follow manufacturer sticker for height and weight requirements. * Some can ONLY be used with the harness - when weight is 40 lbs. or less. * Some have a removable harness for only when weight is more than 40 lbs. * Harness should be through the reinforced slots in the back of the shell at or above the shoulders. * While sitting in the seat, the child's head should not extend over the midpoint (ears) of the head. |
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Combination Forward Facing Seat With/Without Harness
* Heights and weight will vary - follow manufacturer label. * Provides a transition from a Child Restraint System with a harness to a vehicle lap and shoulder belt. * Harness should be through the slots in the back of the shell at or above the child's shoulders.. * This seat is appropriate for most 4-8 year old children. * Seats that have belt positioning guides on the sides can be turned into a booster seat. Most require that you remove the harness when the child is 40 pounds. Refer to the seats labels for instructions. (We have this type of seat available for $20.00) |
High Back Belt Positioning Booster
* Follow the manufacturer label for height and weight restrictions. * Use only with the vehicle's lap and should belt. * Place lap belt low across hips and shoulder belt across chest. * Use shoulder belt positioners per manufacturer's instructions. * Place flat on vehicle seat. * Make sure child's knees bend comfortably so child does not slouch. * Use to provide head, neck, and back support. (We have this type of seat available for $20.00) |
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Shield Booster
* Best Practice These seats have been deemed unsafe and are no longer in production. |
Backless Belt Positioning Booster
*Follow manufacturer label for height and weight restrictions. * Must be used with lap and shoulder belts. * Used to ensure that the lap belt lies across upper thighs and shoulder belt across the center of the chest bone. * Some models have shoulder belt positioners that fasten to the bottom of the seat and guide the shoulder belt to fit properly. |
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Links
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Integrated Seat
Follow instructions in the vehicle's manual. * Built into the vehicle. * Forward-facing ONLY. |
June 8, 2007 / Tony Cote
The seats involved are: the Embrace, Embrace Premier, Journey SE Travel System, Aura Elite Travel System, Aura Select Travel System, Ellipsa EX Travel System, and the Ellipse LX Travel System.
All were made between February 23, 2005 and April 7, 2006.
An unusually high volume of complains has led to the recall of a child safety seat that can dump infants to the ground when used as a carrier.
Transport Canada said recently that it began receiving complaints about the Evenflo product in January 2006 and by October, the agency had received 10 reports of problems. That's when a full investigation was launched. A similar probe was started in the U.S.
None of the Canadian complaints involved an injury.
The result of the two-nation investigation was that Evenflo agreed to a voluntary safety campaign that will see owners of the seat supplied with a repair kit to fix the problem.
Transport Canada says when the seat is used as a carrier outside the vehicle, the handle might move out of the locked position, allowing an unrestrained infant to fall out.
Evenflo will be contacting registered owners of the more than 27,000 seats and is asking non-registered owners to contact them through their website, www.embracehandle.com , or by calling 1-800-490-7497.
The repair kit consists of instructions, two new triggers for handle adjustment and a tool required to remove the old triggers and insert the new triggers. In addition, a video is available online to assist consumers. Until a fix kit is received and the necessary changes are made, consumers should not carry the restraint by the handle, advises Transport Canada.
