Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

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

Car seats should never be placed in front of a vehicle seat with airbags, since the force of the deployed airbag can be fatal for children and babies.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents inquire if an best infant car seat car seat may be placed in front of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason is quite simple: If an accident occurs the child's head could be hit by an airbag while in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a child.

This is the reason why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. The backrest of the seat is positioned against the back of the vehicle seat in a crash, providing the best car seat infant protection for your baby.

In addition, the rear-facing car seat protects the head and neck of your child better than a forward-facing one that offers only minimal head and neck protection. The headrest stops your child from falling out of the shoulder straps during a crash. The harness holds the chest clip above the shoulders.

It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO known instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the front seat. This happens when a child's feet fly up and are sucked into the seat's back and put a great deal of stress on the bones of the leg. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk of this.

There are a variety of programs across the country for qualifying parents to receive discounted or free infant car seats. 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 new infant car seats come with a base that they can click into and out of, which makes them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is particularly useful for families with young children, as it allows you to keep the seat installed and ready to use even when you change vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat, find out if the car seat back will touch the vehicle seat's back by locating the center of the seat and measuring it with a tape measure. This space can be tested with many objects, including the blade of a key or the length wireless earbuds. Then, check the car seat's instructions and vehicle owner's manual to see whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to remove this space.

2. Harness Position

In baby car seats and bouncers, swings strollers, as well as other equipment for children, infants and preemies can be in a dangerous position with their chests and chins touching. In the event of a collision they could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. To avoid this, ensure that the straps on your shoulder start slightly below and come up to the shoulders of your child and ensure that you tighten the straps. The straps must be secure enough to squeeze the fabric together. This is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other bulky outer layers can hinder the Pinch Test, so take them off them prior to putting your child in their seat.

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

In the event of a crash rear-facing infants are more likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps should be able to support the child's neck and head. This is why it's very crucial that the straps are placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too high they may slide over the baby's ears, or go through the neck opening and if they're too loose they can move up to the child's nose.

Make sure the shoulder straps are snugly fitted and in the slots above or around the shoulders of your child. Infants may require an Infant Car Seat In Front Seat insert (often included with the car seat), to raise their shoulders until they can fit into this slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors to aid you in this. You can also refer to the instructions that come with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents might be tempted to turn their infant car seat to face forward due to their child's legs becoming too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason why you should. Rear-facing is more secure than forward-facing because the baby's spine and neck are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children can suffer serious injuries due to the fact that their bodies are thrown against the vehicle.

In addition, many infant car seats come with a built-in angle indicator so you can ensure that the seat is installed correctly. It is also important to ensure that your child's head rests flat on the seat and that the straps are over their shoulders instead of under their arms. To determine whether the harness is too tight you should be able to hold a small amount material on your child's shoulder. Examine the crotch strap to make sure it is at the same height as the armpits and not at the waist. You should also review the instruction manual for your infant car seat so you are aware of how to properly use it.

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

If you own a car with just one back seat, you can install the infant car seat uk car seat in the middle so you are able to easily see your child through your rearview mirror without having to lean over. It is also beneficial to put the car seat on the driver's side so you don't have to walk all the way around your car every time you need to get your child in or out of their car seat.

If you own a car with two back seats, you can place the infant car seat on either side as you don't place it behind the passenger side airbag. If you have to choose between installing the infant car seat on the left or right 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 is properly fitted. This is only possible when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats can help position the shoulder and lap belts correctly. They can also reduce the distance that a child's head moves during a crash, which decreases the chance of injuries. Head movement is the main cause of motor vehicle crashes, which are the leading killers of children ages 4-8.

If a booster is not properly used the lap belt can slide across a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in the event of an accident. This can be avoided by using a booster with lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding on a child's stomach.

Many boosters are equipped with armrests, handles, or guide slots that allow you to position the lap belt low and flat across the child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt starts and remains on a child's strong hip bones instead of moving up into their stomachs in the event of a crash.

Some booster seats have the seatbelt locking mechanism which keeps the seatbelt in place when a child sits in them. This will help to keep the lap belt from slipping up and over the child's abdomen. This will prevent the seatbelt from being pulled upwards over a child’s face. This could cause hypoxia and airway obstruction, as well as neck strain.