Do car seats expire? A Pittsburgh doctor explains everything you need to know.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A word of caution for parents about their children.
Car seats expire, and KDKA-TV looked into the reasons why and the risk.
Car seats have an expiration date
If this news surprises you, there's no shame in that.
Experts said most people are unaware that car seats expire, but it is something to check.
"You should be taking it seriously because this is your child's safety," Dr. Joseph Aracri, chair of the Allegheny County Health Network Pediatric Institute. "You'd rather put out for a brand new car seat that you know is going to be effective and keeping your child safe in the case that there's an accident than taking your risk was something that might have a faulty part to it or a part that's worn out and past its expiration date."
Aracri said the expiration date is needed.
"They are made with many different materials, and some of those materials over time will start to degrade," the doctor said.
Aracri specifically mentioned the straps.
"The seat belts might become looser and not as stable or reliable as time goes on," he said.
The Pittsburgh doctor provided an easy rule to follow.
"If it's old, if it's worn, if it was in an accident already, those are all reasons to replace it," Aracri said.
Another thing to pay attention to. When your child advances to a booster seat, make sure the shoulder strap is in the right position.
"You don't want it up on the neck because that can cause damage in case of an accident," Aracri said. "And if it's off the shoulder, then it's not doing anything to restrain the upper body. So, you wanted to go from the edge of the shoulder to the bottom of the neck."
This is especially important for families with multiple children. Passing car seats from one child to the next or from parents to grandparents keeps car seats in service longer than they should.