Securing the Child Within the ChildRestraintThere are several systems for securing the childwithin the child restraint. One system, thethree-point harness, has straps that come downover each of the infant’s shoulders and buckletogether at the crotch. The five-point harnesssystem has two shoulder straps, two hip straps, anda crotch strap. A shield may take the place of hipstraps. A T-shaped shield has shoulder straps thatare attached to a flat pad which rests low againstthe child’s body. A shelf- or armrest-type shield hasstraps that are attached to a wide, shelf-like shieldthat swings up or to the side.{CAUTION:A child can be seriously injured or killedin a crash if the child is not properlysecured in the child restraint. Make surethe child is properly secured, followingthe instructions that came with thatrestraint.Because there are different systems, it is importantto refer to the instructions that come with therestraint. A child can be endangered in a crash ifthe child is not properly secured in the childrestraint.Where to Put the RestraintAccident statistics show that children are safer ifthey are restrained in the rear rather than the frontseat. We recommend that child restraints besecured in a rear seat, including an infant riding ina rear-facing infant seat, a child riding in aforward-facing child seat and an older child ridingin a booster seat.53
