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According to Wisconsin law, all children under four must be properly
secured in an approved child safety seat while riding in a motor
vehicle. Children between four and eight years old must be properly
restrained in an approved child safety seat or a seatbelt. Drivers can
be stopped, cited, and fined for each child under eight years old who is
not properly buckled up.
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Infants should ride rear-facing in the back seat until they are at
least one year old and over 20 pounds.
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They must never, ever ride in front of an air bag! All
children 12 and under are generally safer in the back seat.
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When the safety seat is buckled in, the area that meets the seatbelt
should not move more than 1 inch in any direction when the seat is
pushed and pulled.
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In order to get the seat in tight, try kneeling in the safety seat
while you tighten the seat belt or have another adult sit in the safety
seat while you tighten the seatbelt.
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Make sure the harness straps are tight enough on the child. You
should not be able to put more than one finger between the straps and
the child.
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Children who outgrow their safety toddler seats should ride in
booster seats until the lap and should seat belts in the vehicle fit
them correctly, which is usually eight years old and 80 pounds. The seat
belt fits correctly when the child can sit all the way back on the seat,
with his or her knees bent over the edge of the seat, without slouching.
The lap belt should rest low on the child's hips and the shoulder belt
should cross the middle of his or her chest and shoulder.
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The generally accepted life of a child safety seat is six years.
After that, unseen parts of the seat can start to deteriorate. The seat
should be replaced.
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If the safety seat is ever in a crash, even a very minor one, it
should be replaced. Some manufacturers will replace them free or at a
reduced price.
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Used child safety seats are not recommended. Often, their history is
unknown, they are missing pieces, or the yare too old to be safely used.
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Children need to be buckled up every time! Never make an exception,
from the very first ride home from the hospital.
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Read the instruction book that came with the safety seat and the one
that came with the vehicle.