Can an infant car seat in front Seat Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

When children are outgrowing their infant best car seats infant seats, they can move 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 weight and age specifications.

It is not recommended to place car seats in front of airbags on the car seat, because the impact of the airbag could be fatal to infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents wonder if the infant car seat can be placed in front of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason is simple: If a crash 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 baby.

Infant car seats are only designed to be rear-facing. The seat's back rests against the back of the seat in the event of a crash, providing the most effective protection for your baby.

A rear-facing car seat protects your child's neck and head better than a front-facing car seat that offers only minimal protection. The headrest stops your child from sliding out of the shoulder straps during 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 car seats that face forwards breaking their legs when they hit the back of the front vehicle seat. This happens when children's feet fly upwards and get trapped against the back of the seat, which puts tremendous pressure on the leg bones. There's no reason to expose your child to the risk for this.

There are a variety of programs throughout the country that allow qualifying parents to receive free or discounted infant car seats. This is a great chance to get your child in a safe car seat before they grow out of it. It can be used for a number of years.

The base of most newer infant car seat models is designed to be removed and inserted, making them easier to use. This feature is particularly useful for traveling with young kids since it allows you to keep the seat in place and ready for use even when you change vehicles.

Find the center of the vehicle seat and measure it with the aid of a tape. This area is a test that can be done with a variety of things, such as the blade of a key, or the length of the wireless earbuds. Check the instructions for the car seat and the owner's manual for your vehicle to see if the angle can be adjusted to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

In infant car seats and bouncers, swings strollers, and other children's gear, newborns and preemies may fall into a dangerous position with their chests pressed against their chins. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps on the harness that are too loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are set just below the shoulders of the child, and then, when they are up, they should be over their shoulders. Adjust them to prevent this. The straps must be tight enough to pinch excess fabric together. This is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers can interfere with the Pinch Test, so remove them prior to putting your child in their seat.

The chest clip was designed for a crash, however it can compress the neck of the child if it's too low or are loose. It's also crucial that the chest clip not in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be placed at armpit level.

In the event of a crash, children who are rear-facing may slide down the seat. The harness straps should be sufficient to support the head and neck of the child. It is crucial to place the straps over the shoulders. If the straps aren't high enough, they can slip over the baby's ears, or go through the opening in their neck, and if they are too loose they can move towards the baby's nose.

Ensure the shoulder straps are in the slots over the shoulders of your child and they fit snugly. Infants may require an infant insert (often included with the best car seat newborn seat) to raise them up to ensure their shoulders are in this slot. Some infant car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors that help with this and you should always read the instructions that came with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents might be tempted to flip 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. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing as the rotating infant car seat's neck and spine are supported in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle and could cause serious injuries.

A lot of infant car seats come with an angle indicator built in so that you can ensure the seat is installed correctly. It is also important to ensure that your child's head is level against the seat and that the harness straps are put over their shoulders, not under their arms or twisted. You can pinch a little bit of material on their shoulder to confirm that the harness is tight enough. It is also important to examine the strap that holds the crotch to be sure that it is at a level with the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read the manual for your infant car seat so that you know how to properly use it.

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

Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle that only has one back seat. This allows you to view your child clearly through the rearview mirror without having to bend over. Installing the car seat on your driver's side can make it easier to get your child in and out of the seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats, the infant car seat can be installed on either side so long as it's not in front of the airbag on the passenger side. If you need to decide whether to install the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, put it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who outgrow their infant car seat due to weight or height must use a booster seat until their vehicle seat belt is properly fitted. This can only happen when they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the guidelines of the manufacturer of your seat for exact measurements).

Booster seats can help position the lap belt and shoulder properly. They can also reduce the distance that a child's head moves during an accident, which reduces the risk of injury. 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 used improperly the lap portion of the belt may slide up over a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in the event of a crash. This can be avoided by using a booster that has lap belt guides that stop the lap belt from sliding over arm rests or sliding on a child's belly.

A lot of boosters come with armrests, handles or guide slots that aid to place the lap belt in a low and flat position across the child's upper thighs. This will ensure that the lapbelt begins and remains on the strong hipbones of the child instead of moving up into their soft abdomen region during the event of a crash.

Certain booster seats are equipped with a seat belt locking mechanism to ensure that the belt is secure while children are sitting in it, and this can help in preventing the lap belt from slipping up over the abdomen of a child. This can also help stop the seat belt from being pulled across the face of a child, which could lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction as also neck strain.