Dear Editor:

A sure sign of spring is the traditional ‘spring cleaning’ frenzy that stocks-up neighborhood yard sales with the deals that can make your trash someone else’s treasure. It’s the time of year when many well-meaning families are deep discounting the child safety seats their kids have outgrown.

But when it comes to used child safety seats, there are precautions parents and caregivers should remember before snapping-up any bargain car seats: precautions which generally suggest not to buy a used child safety seat.

First, since you weren’t around when the car seat was first purchased, it’s difficult to be certain of its history. Maybe the second-hand child safety seat you just bought has already been in a crash! If it was, the structural integrity that provides lifesaving security for your child may have been compromised. And you can’t always tell just by looking. Simple advice: If you don’t know the history, don’t buy the seat.

Next, look for installation instructions, warranty labels, and accessory parts, including buckles and straps. If no instructions are included how will you know how to install the seat properly in your car? If you don’t have all the parts how will you adapt it to your seats? And if you don’t have the warranty information, how will you know how old the safety seat is?

That warranty information is really important. It’s a little known fact that car seats have expiration dates. Most child safety seats have a useful lifespan of just six-or-seven years, although some models are built to last longer than others. Without the warranty you won’t know if the bargain seat you just bought has hidden safety problems announced in a recall by the manufacturers.

So the best advice is to always choose a new car safety seat for your child, unless it’s a choice between a second-hand child safety seat and no safety seat at all. In that case, using a second-hand seat is much safer than letting a child ride unbuckled, without any car seat to protect them. If you have to temporarily make-do with a used seat, make a new car safety seat a priority purchase.

And if a second-hand seat must be used, the seat should always be checked: Checked for expiration dates.. Checked for recalls.. And checked for missing instructions, labels, and parts. At www.gahighwaysafety.org/stations.html the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) maintains a statewide list of child safety seat fitting stations at to help you.

The best car seat is the one that fits the child, fits the car AND will be used correctly and consistently each time your child rides in the car. The newer seats are recommended and by far easier and safer to use. Lower shoulder harness positions, higher weight limits, and more secure five-point harnesses like the race car drivers use are just a few of the features that prove child safety seats have come a long way since many parents stored away their old car seats in the attic.

So go ahead and shop away, but please don’t skimp on your child’s car seat by purchasing a second-hand yard sale model. Your child’s life depends on it!

Bob Dallas, director

Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety