Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

When children have outgrown their infant car seats, they can change to convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats can be used rear or forward-facing, but they must to meet certain weight and age requirements.

Car seats should never be placed in front of a seat equipped with airbags, as the force of the air bag can be lethal for children and babies.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents ask whether an infant car seat may be placed in front of the driver's seat, and the answer is always no. The reason is simple: When an accident occurs the child's head could be struck by an airbag when in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a child.

This is why Infant car Seat in Front seat car seats are made to be rear-facing only. In the event of a collision, the seat's back will be positioned against the rear of your newborn car seat seat. This will provide the most protection for your infant.

A rear-facing car seats protects your child's neck and head more effectively than a front-facing one, which only provides minimal protection. The headrest also stops the child from sliding off the shoulder straps in an accident and the harness will keep the chest clip in place above your child's shoulders.

It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO reported instances of children sitting in forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they strike the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when a child's feet fly upwards and get trapped against the back of the seat, putting enormous stress on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to put your child at risk of this.

There are a variety of programs in the United States that offer infant car seats at a discount or at no cost to parents who qualify. This is a great way to get your child into a safe seat before they get out of it and use it in a safe way for many years.

Most newer infant car seats come with an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, making them much easier to use than older models. This feature is especially helpful when traveling with children as it allows you to keep the car seat on and ready to go even when switching vehicles.

Find the center of the car seat and measure it with the aid of a tape. A lot of things, like the blade of a key for the house or the length of earbuds that are wireless, are about 1.5 inches long and can be used to determine this space. Examine the directions for the car seat as well as the owner's manual for your vehicle to see whether the angle can be adjusted to eliminate the space.

2. Harness Position

Newborns and preemies often are prone to fall into a risky chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other toys for children. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps of the harness that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. Check that the straps are positioned just a little below the shoulders of the child and then come up over their shoulders. Make sure they are tight to prevent this. The straps should be tight enough to squeeze the fabric together. This is called the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats can hinder this so be sure to remove them before placing your child in their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break during a crash, but it may cause a child's throat to collapse when it's too low or if the chest straps are loose. It's also important that the chest clip is not placed in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be placed at armpit level.

In the event of a crash, rear-facing infants are likely to slide up the seat and the harness straps need to be able to cradle the child's head and neck. It is crucial to place the straps on the shoulders. If the straps aren't high enough, they can slip over the baby's ears or slide through the neck opening and if they are too loose they can move towards the baby car seat's nose.

Ensure the shoulder straps are over the shoulders of your child and they fit comfortably. Newborns may need a separate infant insert (often included with the car seat) to lift them up to ensure their shoulders are in the slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors that can help you with this. You may also want to check the instructions included with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents might be tempted to turn their infant car seat around to face forward because of their child's legs getting too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason to do so. Rear-facing is more secure than forward-facing as the infant's spine and neck are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children are more susceptible to serious injuries because their bodies are thrown into the vehicle.

Additionally, a lot of infant car seats have an integrated angle indicator so you can make sure that the seat is installed correctly. It is also important to ensure that your child's head is on the seat flat, and that the straps are on their shoulders rather than under their arms. You should be able to squeeze a small amount of material at their shoulder to determine whether the harness is secure enough. Examine the crotch strap to ensure that it is at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read the instruction manual for your infant car seat so that you know how to use it properly.

Most manufacturers recommend that kids ride rear-facing until at least one year old or until they reach the weight and height limits. Some states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing until two years old.

If you own a car with just one back seat, you can install the infant car seat in the middle so that you can easily see your child's face through the rearview mirror without having to lean back. Installing the best car seats for newborns uk seat on the driver's side also makes it easier to get your child in and out of the seat.

If your vehicle has two rear seats, the infant car seat can be placed on either side so that it is not in front of the airbag on the passenger's side. However, if you have to decide between installing the infant car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, you can put it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who have outgrown their infant car seat due to their weight and height will need a booster until the vehicle's seat belt fits them properly. This can only happen if they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the recommendations of the manufacturer of the seat for exact measurements).

Booster seats assist in positioning the lap and shoulder belt correctly. Booster seats can also reduce how far the child's neck moves during a collision, reducing the chance of injury. Head movement is the primary cause of motor vehicle crashes that are the top rated baby car seats deaths of children aged 4-8.

If a booster is used improperly the lap portion of the belt may slide up and over the child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in an accident. This can be avoided by using a belt guide on the booster, which stops the lap belt from sliding onto a child's stomach, or getting over armrests.

A lot of boosters have handles that are small and armrests or guide slots to position the lapbelt low and flat on a child's upper legs. This ensures that the lapbelt begins and remains on the child's strong hipbones instead of slipping up into their soft abdomen area during an accident.

Some booster seats have a seatbelt locking mechanism that locks the seatbelt in place when a child is sitting in them. This can help keep the lap belt from slipping up and over the child's abdomen. This can also help to keep the belt from being pulled across the face of a child. This could cause hypoxia and airway obstruction as and neck strain.