What to Know About Child Safety Seats

The leading cause of preventable deaths and injuries to US children are road injuries. Luckily, car seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71%, but only if they’re used correctly--there’s a lot more to using them than just making sure they fit in your back seat. Read on to learn how to find the right car seat for your child and how to use it correctly.

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Three Kinds of Car Seats

·         Rear-Facing Car Seat

·         Forward-Facing Car Seat

·         Booster Seat

Rear-Facing Car Seat

Rear-facing seats have harnesses to secure your child, and are designed to protect babies in case of a crash. They’re specifically constructed to protect an infant’s delicate neck and spine. Some rear-facing seats are specially made for newborns and small infants, but children tend to outgrow these seats by eight or nine months. At that point, you should find a larger, rear-facing seat that will fit your child comfortably.

Children should remain in rear-facing seats until around the age of 2, and sometimes longer depending on their height and weight.

Forward-Facing Car Seat

In a forward-facing seat, children are elevated and secured with a harness. Although your children can graduate from this sort of restraint system to a booster seat as young as four year’s old, (depending on their weight and height), it’s recommended that you keep them in a car seat until at least age seven.

As with all car seats, be sure to check the manufacturer’s recommended height and weight to see what’s safest for your child.

Booster Seat

A booster seat (depending on whether it has back of neck support) is primarily designed to lift a child up so that their seat belt fits correctly. Booster seats that have back and neck support are especially useful if the backseat of your car doesn’t have headrests.

Other Helpful Information

·         Children, regardless of whether they’re in a car seat, are safest in the back seat. Don’t let them sit up front until they’re at least 13 years old.

·         Once you’ve installed your car seat, try to move it around. If it slides more than an inch in any direction, you need to adjust it.

·         If your child is buckled into their seat, make sure their harness is taut across their chest, but not tight. A good rule of thumb is to try and pinch the strap at your child’s shoulder. You should not be able to pinch any excess webbing.

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Interested in seeing if your car seat will fit in one of our Nissan models? Be sure to stop by Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville today and find out in person. Because choosing the right car seat is only part of keeping your kids safe as you drive. Choosing the right car is just as important.

The Rogue is Getting a Technology Makeover

Two years ago, a new generation of Nissan Rogue made its way on to the market. Today, Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville is excited to announce that the 2016 Nissan Rogue is getting more upgrades and will have a lot more technology options for buyers. Here's a little background on the equipment that will be available to Rogue buyers this fall.

The biggest change in safety technology is the Forward Emergency Braking (FEB), which will use radar technology to monitor the vehicle in front and keep a safe distance from it. When FEB senses a collision could occur, it will automatically apply the brakes and send a signal to the driver. This system is already available on the Murano and Maxima.

For practicality, the new Rogue will be offered with a Motion-Activated Power Liftgate, perfect for the countless times you approach your vehicle with your hands full. Inside, drivers will have Siri Eyes Free, which allows you to use natural language voice commands and your vehicle's built-in controls to utilize your iPhone or infotainment system.

Speaking of infotainment systems, the one in the 2016 Rogue will be centered around a large touchscreen and six physical buttons. The touchscreen displays your apps similarly to an iPhone and the physical buttons can be used to access various popular features, such as navigation and audio. The navigation system also gets an upgrade, and users will be able to search points of interest instead of just addresses and locations.

We hope you are as excited about what the 2016 Rogue has to offer as we are. Contact us or stop by the dealership today for more information on this vehicle or any other models.

Terry Grant Sets World Record with Nissan Juke NISMO RS

Stuntman Terry Grant set a world record with a Juke NISMO RS, the sportier version of the Nissan Juke, at this year’s Festival of Speed (FoS) in England. Grant had six attempts to beat his previous record of fastest mile while balanced on two wheels, but he only needed one. In 2 minutes and 10 seconds, Grant successfully navigated the Goodwood hillclimb course.

This was a reduction of 45 seconds compared to Grant’s previous record, something he was very pleased about. "I was shocked at how much faster the JUKE NISMO RS was, and to take 45 seconds off what was already a quick time, was unbelievable," said Grant. "To break it by so much on my first attempt was a great way to kick off the weekend, and I'm looking forward to seeing if I can go faster."

What's the Ideal Highway Speed?

When you sit behind the steering wheel of your car, you control your destiny. You choose where you want to go, when you want to go, and how fast you want to get there. The latter choice carries with it significant risk in the form of traffic tickets, fuel economy, and the urgency of your situation, so take some time to evaluate the ideal highway speed for your situation before you let your lead foot have its way.

Stay Connected While You Drive: Tech Tips from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville

Recent news headlines have highlighted the dangers associated with staying connected while you drive. Rather than risking your life and the lives of other drivers, use these tech tips from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville to safely stay in touch.

Tips for Properly Using Your Rearview Mirrors

Your car has rearview mirrors for a very good reason. These mirrors greatly increase your visibility when driving and maneuvering your car, and without them, you could not really drive your car to any safe extent. Strangely enough, this still does not seem to deter some drivers from largely ignoring them, but as every driving instructor will tell you, using your mirror should become second nature. Here are four simple tips from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville to ensure that you use your rearview mirrors safely and effectively.

Nissan Adds Twist to 'Ride of Your Life™ 2.0' Campaign

Driving a sedan doesn’t mean that you have to drive a boring vehicle. In fact, when you step behind the wheel of a Nissan Altima, nothing could be further from the truth. Proving this point is Nissan’s new “Ride of Your Life™ 2.0” campaign. It is the second installment of a similar Altima promotion from last year, but this time it is bigger and better than ever. Keep reading for details from Sheehy Nissan of Mechanicsville.

The 2014 “Ride of Your Life” campaign showed off just how capable the Nissan Altima is by taking consumers on a racetrack with a stock Altima disguised as a racecar. This year’s event took it to the next level.