Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children grow out of their infant car seats they can move into convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats are available in forward-facing and rear-facing versions but they must satisfy certain weight and age requirements.

Car seats should never be placed on top of a car seat with airbags, since the force of the deployed air bag can be lethal for children and babies.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents ask whether the infant car seat can be placed on top of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason is quite simple: If a crash occurs, the child's head could be struck by an airbag when in the front seat. The airbag can injure or even kill a child.

This is the reason why infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing only. The backrest of the seat is positioned against the rear of the car seat in a collision, ensuring the best car seat for newborn uk protection for your infant.

A rear-facing car seat safeguards your child's neck and head better than a front-facing seat that offers only minimal protection. The headrest prevents your child from sliding out of the shoulder straps in a crash. The harness holds the chest clip up above the shoulders.

It's important to remember that there are ZERO known instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs when they strike the back of the front vehicle seat. This happens when a kid's feet fly upwards and get caught against the back of the seat which causes a lot of pressure on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to put your child at risk of this.

There are several programs in the United States that provide infant car seats at a discount or at no cost to parents who qualify. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe car seat before they grow out of it. It is a great option for children to use for many years.

The base of most newer infant car seat models is designed to be easily removed and installed, making them more convenient to use. This feature is particularly useful when traveling with children since you can keep the seat in place and ready for use even when you change vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat make sure that the back of the car seat will be in contact with the vehicle seat's back by locating the middle of the seat and measuring it with a tape to determine. This area can be tested with many items, including the blade of a key or length of the wireless earbuds. Review the instructions for your car seat as well as the owner's manual for your vehicle to determine whether the angle can be adjusted to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

In baby car seats, bouncers, swings strollers, and other toys for children, newborns and preemies can be in a dangerous position with their chins touching their chests. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the harness straps that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, ensure that the straps for your shoulders begin a little below and then come upwards over the shoulders of the child and ensure that you tighten them. The straps must be secure enough to squeeze the fabric to each other. This is known as the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats may hinder this, so be sure to remove them before placing your child in their seat.

The chest clip was designed for a crash, but it can cause compression to the neck of a child if it's too low or if they are too loose. The chest clip shouldn't be placed in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level.

During a crash, rear-facing infants are likely to slide across the seat and the harness straps must be able to hold the neck and head of the child. It is essential to put the straps on the shoulders. If the straps are too low, they may slide through the opening on the neck of the infant or over their ears. If they are too loose, they could touch the face of the child.

Make sure the shoulder straps are securely fitted and in the slots above or at the child's shoulders. Newborns may need a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to raise them up to ensure their shoulders are in the slot. Some infant car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors that assist with this, and you should always refer to the instructions included with the seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

Parents may be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are becoming shorter in the rear-facing seat, however there is no reason to do this. Rear-facing is more secure than forward-facing as the infant's spine and neck are supported in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards against the vehicle and can cause serious injury.

A majority of infant car seats have an angle indicator to help you ensure the seat is properly installed. You also need to ensure that your child's head rests flat against the seat, and that the harness straps are positioned over their shoulders, not under their arms or twisted. You can pinch a tiny bit of fabric at their shoulders to ensure that the harness is tight enough. It is also important to check the strap that holds the crotch to be sure that it is at a level with the armpits, rather than at the waist. You should also read the instruction manual for your infant car seat to ensure you are aware of how to use it properly.

The majority of manufacturers recommend that children ride rear-facing in their car seat for newborn seats until they are at least one year old, or until they reach the weight and height limit of their particular car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing until two years old.

If you own a car with only one back seat, install the rotating infant car seat car seat in the middle so that you are able to easily see your child through your rearview mirror without having to lean over. It's also helpful to install the car seat on the driver's side so you don't have to walk all the way around your vehicle every time you need to take your child into or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats the infant car seat can be placed on either side as long as it's not in the airbag's front on the passenger side. If you have to choose between installing an infant car seat on the left or right side of your vehicle, install it on the driver’s side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who have outgrown their infant car seats due to weight and height will need a booster until the vehicle's seat belt is properly fitted. This can only be done when the child is at a minimum 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats can help position the shoulder and lap belts properly. They can also reduce the distance that a child's skull moves during an accident, which reduces the chance of injuries. Head movement is the most common cause of motor vehicle accidents that are the top deaths of children aged 4-8.

If a booster is not properly used the lap belt can be able to slide over the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries if an accident occurs. This can be avoided by using a booster that has lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from sliding over arm rests or sliding up onto a child's stomach.

Many boosters are equipped with small handles, armrests or guide slots that help to position the lap belt in a low and flat position across a child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt starts and remains on a child's sturdy hip bones instead of moving up into their stomachs during an accident.

Some booster seats are also designed with a seat belt locking mechanism to keep the seat belt locked in place while children are sitting in it. This can help to prevent the lap belt from slipping up over the abdomen of a child. This may also help keep the belt from being pulled over the face of a child. This could result in hypoxia and airway obstruction, as well as neck strain.