Stroller Safety 101: How to Use a Pram or Stroller Safely? (2022 Edition)

by Kathy Warner

Keeping your baby safe is an essential task for all parents. However, you need a safe baby stroller and other infant and nursery products to ensure your little one is secure in the restraint.

The main question is: What are safety tips when using a pram or stroller & how to keep a baby safe in child restraints?

We discuss the crucial safety rules to follow, how to use a pram or stroller safely, and how to prevent a serious injury in a pram or stroller.

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Take away key points:

  • Strollers or prams must have the ASTM F833 or AS/NZS 2088 labels for safety use
  • There are multiple tricks to perform to ensure stroller safety standards.
  • Follow the official rules to avoid pram tipping and serious injuries.

Keeping baby safe in prams and strollers seems easy to most parents. However, multiple security standards must be considered to ensure your toddlers are safe. Let's see.

Purchasing a safe pram or stroller: What are the requirements?

how to use a stroller with a newborn

When purchasing new prams and strollers, ensure they meet and exceed the ASTM F833 safety standards. Look for the labels, or check the instruction manual to examine whether the units meet the regulations.

However, if you're an Australian resident, look for the Australian Standard/New Zealand Standard 2088, issued by the Australian government. You can also ask your retailers if you're not sure whether the prams and strollers meet the safety regulations.

What are the guidelines when choosing a safe stroller/pram?

Below are some of the security guidelines for buying a pram or stroller:

  • Always search for a strong frame, easy steering, and a secure and robust footrest.
  • Make sure the prams and strollers have a five-point safety harness system. The five-point harness must have five harness straps going over the child's waist, shoulders, and between the child's legs to keep infants and toddlers secure and stable.
  • Ensure the pram or stroller has one or more parking brakes, with red parking brake levers and a lock-off system on the rear wheels. They must perform optimally so the pram or stroller can be securely locked when parked.
  • Ensure the pram or stroller provides a tether strap or a crotch strap.
  • Refer to the instruction manual to examine if the pram or stroller fits your child's age, size, and weight limit.

Stroller accessories ensure the safety of your babies

Stroller accessories are always valuable when supervising your babies. So you won't be distracted by adverse weather or overloaded constructions.

Here are some of the most valuable stroller/pram accessories:

  • Tether strap. Please wrap the tether strap around your wrist to prevent the stroller/pram from rowing away.
  • Storage basket. Children require extra gear to remain comfortable in the strollers or prams, so a massive storage basket is always helpful. Most strollers offer large baskets to place a blanket, heavy bags, diaper bags, and similar child equipment inside the basket. However, you shouldn’t overload it to avoid stroller/pram accidents.
  • Cup holders. These units are excellent for keeping both hands on the pram or stroller handles and have more stability.
  • Stroller shields. Canopies or shields are essential to every stroller, as they prevent adverse weather, offering your child excellent child ventilation.

Best safety factors when using a stroller or a pram

Below are the most important tips for using a stroller/pram safely. These include:

how to use a stroller with a newborn
  • Folding mechanism. Ensure the sturdy frame has an optimal folding mechanism to ensure the stroller/pram won't collapse suddenly and hurt your baby or older child.
  • Five-point harness. Always use the 5-point harness to ensure the older babies and toddlers can't fall out if they're properly secured.
  • Do not overload prams/strollers. Do not hang heavy bags on the handles since the prams/strollers easily tip backward. You will cause a safety hazard to your child.
  • Carry a little in the basket. You cannot hang bags on the handles to prevent the pram from tipping over or backward so that you can place the equipment beneath the stroller seat in the basket. But do not overload it to avoid instability; otherwise, prams cannot resist tipping backward.
  • Stable wheels. Ensure the wheel brakes are on and locked whenever you stop to prevent movements and accidents. The best brakes will lock back wheels by engaging the wheel base system rather than relying on pressure on the tires.
  • Suitable parking place. Always park your prams/strollers parallel to railway tracks or roads to prevent rolling into danger. Also, push them into a straight line to avoid tipping over.
  • Never leave your child unattended in the stroller. Stay close and watch your baby napping in the seat, but move the child into the crib. Children must sleep in the crib on their backs to prevent SIDS. Even if you let your infant or child fall asleep in the stroller seat, their shoulders and legs will relax, distributing more weight forward, causing the stroller to tip forward. They could also fall through the leg openings. Your child should always sit upright in the stroller.
  • Avoid uneven terrains if your products are not suitable. Do not push your prams/strollers up and down stairs, over curbs, or on rough ground. You can damage the items and cause injuries to your baby. Use all-terrain strollers for multiple areas.
  • Teach your baby to sit in the seat. A growing baby mustn't stand up, lean on one stroller's side, or move inside the item. Teach them to sit correctly to avoid accidents.
  • Ensure older siblings cannot climb in the pram/stroller. Their climbing might cause prams to tip over. Also, teach your older children that there's room only for one baby in the pram.
  • Ask for help with transportation. Hold the handles while the other person holds the foot of the stroller/pram while getting off the trains, buses, or trams. It's safer that another person goes first and then grabs the stroller's foot first.
  • Protect your stroller/pram to prolong its life. Keep a pram or stroller inside and use a cover to protect it from dust and dirt to ensure the best quality and prolong its lifespan.

Injuries caused by the strollers/prams

Injuries are common in baby products, so many children need hospital treatment due to stroller/pram misuse. One of the most common causes of stroller injuries is tipping over. Even the sturdiest constructions can easily tip over if you overload the items.

Another great injury cause is run-away strollers/prams. So you need to lock the brakes on the two wheels to prevent moving and rolling around. Other stroller-related injuries include:

- Pinched/trapped fingers or limbs

- Bruises, bumps, and similar baby head injuries after falling from baby products

- Suffocation and strangulation after falling asleep into strollers for too long

- Severe injuries or death if parents lose control of the items.

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FAQs

How do I know if my stroller is safe?

You will know that your stroller is safe when it has the ASTM F833 label or the AS/NZS 2088 sticker. In addition, your stroller must have the following:

- Robust construction to prevent sudden collapses

- Strong folding mechanism

- Sturdy and locking wheel brakes

- Must meet baby's age and weight limit

- 5-point harness to ensure maximum security and stability.

Can a bumpy pram ride hurt a baby?

There isn't much evidence that a bumpy pram ride can hurt your baby and cause shaken baby syndrome. You will stroll and avoid huge stones. But, your baby must be shaken to cause head injury and brain damage. So, a slow pram ride on rough terrains isn't that scary.

How long should a baby lie flat in a pram?

A baby should lie flat in a pram until its muscles are developed and strong enough to keep its neck and head upright, around six or seven months old. They can use strollers after this period, as children can hold their whole bodies upright.

What type of stroller is safe for your baby?

The safest stroller type is the stroller with a 5-point harness. The stroller will offer more stability and security to your children and keep them adequately restrained to prevent falling off and injuries. However, they cannot detach the straps and unbuckle from the harness so quickly. Here you can find the best strollers.

How to use strollers safely at Disney World?

Follow these guidelines:

- Never use strollers on escalators

- Remove the child from the stroller while riding on DisneyWorld transportation

- Never leave personal items unattended in the units

- Cast members might move your strollers

- Mark strollers for easy finding

- Rent a stroller if you don't have a personal item 

- Save receipts for rentals 

- Pack a stroller rain cover 

Find more information here.

Do you need to strap a baby into a pram?

Yes, you need to strap a baby into a pram to ensure maximum stability and security. However, your children cannot fall off and will be stable even if rolling around too much.

Final Words

There are multiple tips on how to use a pram or stroller safely and keep your little ones secure on the road.

Please follow the official guidelines and stick to the rules to avoid accidents and severe injuries. And, the most important thing - never leave your kids alone in the prams or strollers.

Avatar of Kathy Warner

Kathy Warner

Kathy is a busy mother of two and a CPS technician for more than eight years. Her mission is to awaken parents to the importance of child passenger safety and show them the right practice. You can read more about her here

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