Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

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

Car seats should not be placed in front of a seat with airbags, since the force of the deployed airbag can be fatal for infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents inquire if an infant car seat may be placed in front of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason for this is quite simple If a collision occurs and the child is in the front seat, they could have their head hit by an airbag, especially if they are in the front seat. The result is that the airbag can injure or kill the baby.

This is 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 protection for the infant car seats on sale.

A rear-facing newborn car seat seat protects your child's neck and head better than a front-facing seat that offers only the most basic protection. The headrest stops your child from falling out of the shoulder straps during an accident. The harness holds the chest clip 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 children's feet rise and become stuck against the rear of the seat, which puts enormous stress on the bones of the legs. This is not something you want to put your child at risk of.

There are numerous programs across the country for parents who qualify to receive free or discounted infant car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to get your child in a safe car seat before they get out of it. It can be used for many years.

The majority of newer infant car seats come with a base that they click into and out of, making them much easier to use than older models. This feature is especially useful for traveling with young kids because you can keep the car seat installed and ready to use even if you change vehicles.

Before you buckle your child in check if the back of the car seat will be in contact with the vehicle seat's back by measuring the middle of the seat and measuring it with a tape to determine. Many things, such as the blade of a key for the house or the length of earbuds with wireless technology are around 1.5 inches long and can be used to check for this space. Check the instructions for the car seat and the owner's manual for your vehicle to see whether the angle can be adjusted to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

Newborns and preemies often are prone to fall into a risky chest-to-chin position in infant car seat in front seat car seats, bouncy chairs, swings, strollers and other equipment for children. In a crash, they may be injured by the chest clip or crushed by harness straps that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. To prevent this from happening, make sure that the shoulder straps start slightly below and come up to the shoulders of your child and ensure that you tighten them. The straps should be tight enough to hold the excess fabric together. This is called the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats may hinder this, so make sure to remove them before placing your child in their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break during an accident, but it could be compressed on the throat of a child when it's too low or if the chest straps aren't tight enough. It is also essential that the chest strap is not in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be at armpit level.

In the event of a crash, children who are rear-facing may slide up the seat. The harness straps must be able to support the child's neck and head. This is why it's important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are placed too low, they may slide through the opening in the neck of the baby or even over their ears. If they're too loose, they may reach the child's face.

Make sure that the shoulder straps are properly fitted and positioned in the slots above or around the child's shoulders. Newborns may require a separate infant insert (often included with the car seat) to lift them up to ensure their shoulders are in this slot. Some infant car seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors to aid in this process and you should always refer to 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 being too short in the rear-facing position really no reason to do it. The rear-facing position is much safer than a forward-facing position because in the event of a collision, the baby's body will be pressed against the seat, and their spine and neck will be supported. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle and can cause serious injury.

Additionally, many infant car seats have an integrated angle indicator so you can make sure that the seat is correctly installed. Also, you should ensure that your child's head rests on the seat flat, and that the straps are on their shoulders rather than under their arms. You should be able to squeeze a little bit of material at their shoulder to determine whether the harness is secure enough. It is also important to examine the strap that holds the crotch to be sure it is in line with the armpits, rather than at the waist. It is also a good idea to review your infant car seat manual to be aware of the proper way to use it for your child.

Most manufacturers advise that children sit rear-facing in their car seats until they reach at least one year old or until they reach the height and weight limit of their particular car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for at minimum two years.

Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a car that only has one back seat. This will allow you to see your child easily through the rearview mirror, without having to bend over. It is also beneficial to put the car seat on the driver's side so you do not have to walk all the way around your car every time you need to put your baby in or out of their car seat.

If you have a vehicle with two back seats, you can install the infant car seat on either side so long as it isn't in front of the passenger-side airbag. If you have to choose 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 uk car seats due to their weight and height will need a booster until the seat belt is fitted properly. This is only possible when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top rated infant car seats of the headrest.

Booster seats aid in positioning the shoulder belt and lap correctly. They also limit how far the neck moves in a collision, reducing the risk of injuries. Head movement is the primary reason behind motor vehicle crashes which are the most frequent killers of children ages 4-8.

If a booster isn't used correctly the lap belt could slide across a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries if an accident occurs. This can be prevented by using a booster with lap belt guides that prevent the lap belt from slipping over arm rests or sliding up on a child's belly.

A lot of boosters have handles that are small or armrests, or guide slots that help place the lap belt low and flat on the child's upper legs. This will ensure that the lapbelt starts and stays on the strong hipbones of the child instead of slipping upwards into their abdomen area in the event of an accident.

Certain booster seats feature the seatbelt locking mechanism which secures the seatbelt when a child is sitting in them. This will help to stop the lapbelt from slipping up and over the child's abdomen. This can help keep the seat belt from being pulled over a child’s face. This could cause hypoxia and airway obstruction, and neck strain.