BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — For first time mom, Aliyah Ray, getting to know her 15-month-old daughter Vaiyah has become her greatest joy.
"She's funny, she's goofy, she likes to play and eat," said Aliyah Ray, first time mom.
For many first time parents, adjusting to life with a little one takes time. Especially when it comes to car seat safety.
"I was really nervous, you know leaving the hospital," said Ray. "Them telling me you got to make sure that she's strapped like this."
Ray said even though things were hard she was determined to get it right and the Buffalo Car Seat Club is determined to help parents and caregivers along the way.
"These are harness shoulder straps," said Lia Tuso, Mom and Founder of The Buffalo Car Seat Club. "This is called the chest clip. So this is always level with the armpit. This is the crotch buckle here."
Tuso started the Buffalo car seat club when she realized her son's car seat wasn't in right. She obtained her Child Passenger Safety Technicians License and has been on a mission to make sure all families are safe in their cars.
"Nine out of 10 caregivers leave the hospital with their car seat installed incorrectly," said Tuso. "That's an enormous statistic and its an enormous number that we are trying to correct."
Ray has been putting her daughter in and out of car seats for more than a year but still has dome trouble even today. So what should you know?
"We always want to make sure that the car seat is installed correctly either with the lower anchors or the seat belt," said Tuso. "Typically you can not use both."
"So in New York State the law is that children have to remain rear facing until two years old minimum," said Tuso. "That is the law but we know that best practice is to keep them rear facing until they max out the parameters of their specific car seat."
Tuso said a car seat that in anything more than a minor crash should be replaced.
"So a minor crash is a car crash when you can drive you vehicle away and there was no direct impact to the area where the car seat is," said Tuso.
The Buffalo Car Seat Club will be holding several chances to attend a car seat safety check as the summer months approach. You can visit their website here to learn more.
Also, from April 19th through the 29th, you can head to Target's Car Seat Trade event. They will be collecting old, used, outgrown and damaged car seats properly.
