Mayo Clinic Care Network Content
Articles

Car seat safety: Avoid 9 common mistakes

1. Getting a used car seat without checking that it's safe

If you don't know the history of a car seat, it's best to buy a new one. In addition to knowing the car seat's history, make sure the car seat:

  • Comes with instructions.
  • Has a label that shows the date the car seat was made and its model number.
  • Hasn't been recalled by the seat maker for flaws, safety concerns or other issues.
  • Isn't expired.
  • Doesn't look like it is damaged or has missing parts.
  • Has never been in a crash.