Car seats provide valuable protection for babies and toddlers who aren’t fully protected by a regular seat belt. Parents want to ensure that their children are safe, especially when they’re on the road.
Being involved in a crash with your child in the car can make your heart drop. The first thing you need to do is make sure that your baby isn’t injured. If they are injured, make sure that you get them the medical care they need. Another consideration for you after the crash is whether you need to replace your baby’s car seat.
Is it ever safe to keep your baby’s car seat after a crash?
The only time that it’s safe to keep the car seat is if the crash is minor. There are five specific points that must all be met for this to happen:
- The car seat isn’t visibly damaged.
- Nobody in the vehicle was injured.
- The vehicle was driven away from the crash.
- The airbags in the vehicle didn’t deploy.
- The door closest to the car seat wasn’t damaged.
If even one of those points isn’t true, you need to replace the car seat. It’s also possible that you’ll have to replace the car seat even if all those points are met. If you are unsure, replace it.
The days after a car crash that involved your child can be rather difficult. You need to keep an eye on your child to see if they have any new signs of injuries. If the crash was the result of someone’s negligence, you might choose to seek compensation for the damages that you’re dealing with.