Every family has their own holiday traditions. Why not make safety one of your family’s traditions? Toyota has some tips on how to make these new traditions:

Make it a family affair. The holidays are a wonderful time to gather with family near and far. However, older generations may have had different approaches to keeping kids safe in cars. If relatives help chauffer children, make sure everyone understands the latest practices for car seats, booster seats and seat belts.

Ban re-gifting.  It may be tempting to accept a used car seat, but this is one item that should never be re-gifted. It’s not bad manners – it’s safety. You can’t necessarily know the history of the seat and a past crash or even normal wear-and-tear may have compromised its ability to protect your little one.

Remember that car seats expire, just like Thanksgiving leftovers.  Many families are surprised to learn that car seats – like food – have a shelf life and must be replaced. Establish a new habit this year: when you clean out your refrigerator after Thanksgiving, check the expiration date on your car seat too.

Booster seats – they aren’t just for the holiday table. We all know booster seats can help young children enjoy special meals this time of year with the rest of the family. But don’t forget about booster seats for your car – all year round. Children under 4’9” should always sit in these special seats, which raise them up so that seat belts can protect them correctly.

Look forward to the New Year, but make sure young children look back. This is one of the most common questions that perplexes parents and caregivers – when do I turn the car seat around to face forward? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain in rear-facing car seats until age two, or until they exceed the height or weight limit for the car seat.

text provided by Toyota