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 can be rear-facing or forward-facing, but they must to meet certain age and weight requirements.

It is not advised to place car seats behind airbags on the car seat, because the force of the airbag can cause fatal injuries to babies and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents wonder if the infant car seat could be placed in front of the vehicle driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason for this is quite simple In the event of a crash, the child could have their head hit by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a baby.

This is the reason why infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing only. In a crash the back of the seat will rest against the back of your vehicle seat. This provides the best infant seat security for the infant.

Additionally, the rear-facing car seat protects the head and neck of your child better than a forward-facing one which offers only a small amount of neck and head protection. The headrest also stops the child from sliding off the shoulder straps in a crash and the harness holds the chest clip in place above the shoulders of your child.

It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO instances of children in car seats that face forwards breaking their legs when they hit the back of the front vehicle seat. This happens when children's feet rise and become stuck against the rear of the seat, putting tremendous pressure on the bones of the leg. This is not something you should put your child at risk of.

There are a variety of programs in the United States that offer infant car seats at a reduced price or free for parents who meet the requirements. This is a great opportunity to ensure that your child is in a secure car seat before they get out of it. It is a great option for children to use for many years.

The majority of the modern infant car seats have an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, which makes them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is especially beneficial for traveling with young children, as you can keep the car seat in place and ready to go even when switching vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat make sure that the back of the car seat will touch the vehicle seat's back by locating the center of the seat and measuring it with a tape to determine. This area can be checked using a variety of things, such as the blade of a key or length wireless earbuds. After that, you should check the instructions on your car seat as well as the the owner's manual of your vehicle to determine whether you can adjust the angle of the car seat to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

Newborns and preemies often get into a potentially dangerous chest-to-chin position in infant car seats, bouncy seats strollers, swings and other children's equipment. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps of the harness that are loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, ensure that the straps on your shoulder begin a little below and then come upwards over the shoulders of the child and make sure you tighten them. The straps should be tight enough to squeeze the fabric together. This is called the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers can interfere with the Pinch Test, so remove them before you buckle your child in their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break in a crash but it can compress on a child's throat if it's too low or when the chest straps are loose. The chest clip should not be located in the neck opening. Instead it should be located at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash, rear-facing infants are likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps need to be able to support the child's neck and head. This is why it's important that the straps are placed over the shoulders. If the straps aren't high enough, they could slide over the baby's ears or slide through the neck opening and if they are too loose, they can slide towards the baby's nose.

Make sure that the straps for your child's shoulders are snugly fitted and in the slots above or on the shoulders of your child. Newborns may need a separate infant insert (often included with the car seat) to raise them so that their shoulders can reach the slot. Some infant car seats have angle indicators or adjustors that could aid you in this. You may also want to check the instructions that come in your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents may be tempted to turn their infant car seat to face forward due to their child's legs being too short in the rear-facing position really no reason to do so. The rear-facing position is safer than the forward-facing position because in the event of a crash the baby's body will tense against the seat, and their neck and spine will be supported. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle, and may cause serious injuries.

In addition, many infant car seat best car seats have an integrated angle indicator so you can make sure that the seat is properly installed. Also, you should ensure that your child's head is flat on the seat and that the straps are on their shoulders rather than under their arms. To check whether the harness is tight you should be able to pinch a small amount of material at your child's shoulder. It is also essential to check the strap that holds the crotch to be sure it is level with the armpits, rather than at the waist. You should also read the instruction manual for your infant car seat so that you know how to use it correctly.

Most manufacturers suggest that children ride rear-facing until at minimum one year old or until they reach their car seat's weight and height limits. Some states have laws that require babies to remain rear-facing until they reach the age of two years old.

If you have a vehicle with just one back seat, install the infant car seat in the middle so you are able to easily see your child's face through the rearview mirror without needing to lean over. It's also helpful to place the best car seats seat on the driver's side, so you do not have to walk all the way around your vehicle every time you want to get your child in or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two rear seats, the infant car seat can be set on either side so long as it's not the airbag's front on the passenger side. If you have to decide between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, place it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

All children who exceed the size of their infant car seat due to weight or height must be fitted with a booster seat until the vehicle seat belt is fitted properly. This can only happen if they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top rated infant car seats of their headrest (check the recommendations of the manufacturer of the seat for exact measurements).

Booster seats help to position the shoulder belt and lap correctly. Booster seats can also reduce the distance that a neck moves in collisions, reducing the risk of injury. Head movement is the primary cause of motor vehicle crashes, which are the leading deaths of children aged 4-8.

If a booster is not properly used the lap belt could slide across a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in the event of an accident. This can be avoided with a belt guide on the booster, which stops the lap belt from sliding up onto a child's stomach or getting over armrests.

Many boosters are equipped with small handles, armrests or guide slots that allow you to place the lap belt low and flat across the child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt begins and stays on a child's strong hip bones instead of being pushed up into their soft stomach area in the event of 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 moving up and over the child's abdomen. This can also help stop the belt from being pulled over a child's face, which could cause airway obstruction and hypoxia, as well as neck strain.