Half of child car seats and booster seats are used incorrectly, according to Manitoba Public Insurance stats.

Public Education Officer Cindi Klassen-KrahnSteinbach Fire Public Education Officer, Cindi Klassen-Krahn, says choosing the right car seat is mainly based on a child's weight and height. Klassen-Krahn notes, though specific numbers can vary between manufacturers, the demonstration car seats specified a rear-facing car seat is for infants between four and 30 pounds, and 30 inches long; forward-facing car seats are for children weighing 30 to 65 pounds; and a booster seat is for children ages four to ten. When graduating from a booster seat to sitting in the bucket seat of a vehicle, Klassen-Krahn notes the child must be able to sit all the way back in the seat and have a 90º bend in their knee, not having their feet stick straight out. She says if the child cannot bend their knees while sitting all the way back, they're not ready to graduate from the booster seat.

"[Car seats] are very important. It's their lifeline," says Klassen-Krahn. "Most people figure, oh well, we're just going to the store a block away or two blocks away, but that's when most incidents happen. You want to make sure that every time you get into the vehicle everybody is properly secured."

Klassen-Krahn notes there is one error she sees most often when placing a child into a car seat - bundling the baby up in bulky sweaters and jackets.

Car seat warning label."Babies do not need more than a toque; you can put blankets overtop, because you want the harness to sit on the baby. If you have them bulked up, the harness will not be snug enough," She says, adding when the harness is not snug enough, it also may not protect the child from projecting out of the car seat during a collision.

She adds car seats should be installed on the passenger side of a vehicle so the parent is not in danger of being struck by an oncoming vehicle. Klassen-Krahn notes car seats and children age 13 and under should never sit in the front passenger seat.

Graduating a child from a rear-facing car seat to a forward-facing car seat is a huge change for a child, says Klassen-Krahn, they now have a new vantage point when in the vehicle. She notes it's best to not graduate them too soon adding it's been shown that keep a child in a rear-facing car seat until the age of two is the best.

"With that said, being a mom, I did not keep my children past 18 months in rear-facing," notes Klassen-Krahn. "Once you turn them, you will not get to turn them back because it's a whole new view."

Warranty label to fill out and mail in.She says when you are ready to transition to forward-facing the child should have passed three milestones; the child should be walking, be at least one year of age, and weigh a minimum of 22 pounds. She adds if any of these three milestones are not checked off, the child should remain in a rear-facing car seat.

When a new car seat is purchased Klassen-Krahn notes all warnings and manuals should be read to make sure they are being used to the manufacturer's specifications. She adds there will also be a warranty card attached to the car seat which should be filled out and mailed in immediately.

"They crash test these seats up until the expiration date. This specific seat is good up until six years from manufacturing which is located on the bottom of this seat, and this one was manufactured in 2015, so it's good until 2021."

Klassen-Krahn says there will be a car seat safety presentation happening in June, and if a parent has questions about car seats they may contact her during office hours at 204-326-1109.