Parents want to do whatever they can to keep their children safe, especially when they are in a car. Getting behind the wheel means putting kids in a car seat or booster seat for maximum protection, but some of these devices are complicated and may be unknowingly used ineffectively. 

To prevent problems, parents should be aware of a few basic tips for car seat safety. Follow all instructions regarding the height and weight restrictions of different restraints. For example, children should be in rear-facing seats until they reach the maximum size listed for each particular car seat model, at which time they can be upgraded to a front-facing device. 

No matter what type of car seat is used, it needs to be installed properly. Always use a five-point harness to restrain a child and make sure the straps lay flat without any twisting. The seat itself also needs to be tightly connected to a car, with little room for movement – no device should be able to be moved more than 1 inch in any direction. 

"Proper use of car and booster seats have been proven to save lives and reduce the number of injuries in car crashes," said Mark R. Desrochers, an insurance group president. "But child restraint systems are used incorrectly, and in many cases are misused in a way that could actually increase a child's risk of injury or death during a crash. We believe that proactive education on proper usage of car seats for children will help save lives and reduce injuries." 

Once parents have mastered the use of a car seat, they may want to turn their attention toward making sure the vehicle they are driving has all of the safety features they need. If a car is not up to snuff, it could be time to start looking for a used car at a reputable location such as NJ State Auto Auction. The lot contains hundreds of CARFAX-certified cars, trucks and vans, many of which have child-friendly amenities and impressive safety features.