Island Shares Tips for Expecting Parents Looking to Purchase a Vehicle | Island Insurance

Purchasing a Vehicle As an Expecting Parent

  • If you are an expecting parent, buy your car seat before shopping for a car. Not all back seats will properly accommodate a car seat, so make sure you bring your car seat to the dealership and try installing it. A correct and tightly installed car seat will move no more than an inch in any direction.
  • Stow the stroller to make sure the car has enough storage space to accommodate your stroller or carriage plus other items (shopping, groceries, etc). Lift the stroller in and out a few times as if you will be doing it often.
  • Check the rear windows. Some sedans and coupes have deeply-sloped rear windows that allow sunlight to stream down on a rear-facing child seat and possibly in your child’s face.
  • Take a ride in the back. From time to time, you (or your spouse/partner/doting grandparent/etc.) may want to ride next to baby, so part of your test drive should include a ride in the back seat next to the strapped-in child seat.