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Children should use rear-facing car seats for as long as possible, pediatricians say

The change means that most children will remain in rear-facing seats well after their second birthdays.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is now recommending that children continue using rear-facing car seats for as long as possible.

For years experts have recommended that kids use rear-facing car seats until they're two years old.

However, the academy announced Wednesday it is dropping the age limit in favor of instead suggesting parents focus on the highest weight or height allowed by each car seat.

Car seats are awesome at protecting children in a crash,” Benjamin Hoff, MD, lead author of the updated policy statement said. “If you have a choice, keeping your child rear-facing as long as possible is the best way to keep them safe.”

The change means that most children will remain in rear-facing seats well after their second birthdays.

The new guidelines say:

  • Children should remain in rear-facing seats until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the seat manufacturer. Find the seat limits in the instruction manual.
  • Once children reach the height or weight limit and shift to a forward-facing seat, they should use safety seats with harnesses for as long as possible, often up to 65 pounds.
  • When children exceed height or weight limits for those seats, they should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the lap and shoulder belts fit properly, often when the child has reached 4 feet 9 inches in height.

Get your seat checked

The Knoxville Police Department does a child safety seat checkpoint once a month to make sure car seats are installed correctly.

For more information on the Child Safety Seat Rules, visit knoxvilletn.gov.

The checkpoints are held each month 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 917 E. 5th Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. The events are normally held the second Saturday of each month.

2018 Child Safety Seat Checkpoints Schedule:

September 8

October 13

November 10

December 8

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