15 Shocking Facts About Infant Car Seat In Front Seat That You Never Knew

Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children outgrow their infant best car seats newborn seats they can transition to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats are available in rear-facing and forward-facing versions but they must satisfy certain weight and age requirements.

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

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents inquire if the infant car seat can be placed in front 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 result is that the airbag could cause harm or even death to the infant.

Infant car seats are only designed to be rear-facing. In a crash, the seat's back will rest against the rear of your car seat. This is the best car seat for newborn protection for your infant.

In addition, a rear-facing car seat protects the head and neck of your child more than a forward-facing one, which provides only minimal head and neck protection. The headrest prevents your child from slipping out of the shoulder straps during a crash. The harness holds the chest clip up above the shoulders.

It's important to keep in mind that there have been ZERO reported instances of children riding forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they strike the rear of the vehicle seat. This occurs when a child's feet are lifted and then get trapped against the back of the seat, putting immense stress on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk of this.

There are several programs in the US that offer infant car seats at a discount or for free to parents who qualify. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe seat before they outgrow it and use it in a safe way for many years.

The majority of new infant car seats have an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, which makes them much easier to use than older models. This feature is particularly beneficial for traveling with young kids, as you can keep the seat installed and ready to use even when changing vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat make sure that the car seat back will touch the car seat's back by finding the center of the seat and measuring it with a tape measure. This space can be tested with many items, including the blade of a key or length wireless earbuds. Check the instructions for the best car seat for newborn uk seat as well as the owner's manual of your vehicle to see if the angle can be adjusted to eliminate the space.

2. Harness Position

Newborns and preemies often are prone to fall into a risky chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats strollers, swings and other children's equipment. In a crash, they can be injured or crushed by the chest clip. Make sure that the straps are set slightly 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 secure enough to pinch excess fabric together. This is called the Pinch Test. The bulky outer layers of winter coats can interfere with this, so be sure to take them off prior to you buckle your child into their seat.

The chest clip is designed for a crash, however it can compress the child's neck if it is too low or are loose. The chest clip should not be placed in the neck opening. Instead it should be located at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash, children who are facing rearwards will slide off the seat. The harness straps should be sufficient to support the child's neck and head. This is why it's very important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too low, they could slip through the neck opening of the infant or over their ears. If they are too loose, they could touch the face of the child.

Ensure the shoulder straps are at or above your child's shoulders, and that they fit snugly. Infants may require an infant insert (often provided with the car seats newborn seat) to raise their shoulders so they reach this slot. Some infant car seats have 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

Some parents may be tempted by the fact that their child's legs are getting shorter in the rear-facing seat, but there's no need to do this. The rear-facing position is much safer than the forward-facing position because in the event of a crash the baby's body will be pressed against the seat and their spine and neck will be supported. Forward-facing children can suffer serious injuries due to the fact that their bodies are thrown into the vehicle.

Many infant car seats also have an angle indicator built in so that you can ensure the seat is correctly installed. You also need to ensure that your child's head is flat against the seat and the harness straps are placed over their shoulders, not under their arms or twisted. You should be able to squeeze a little bit of material at their shoulders to ensure that the harness is snug enough. Check the crotch strap to make sure it's at the same height as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read your infant car seat manual to ensure you understand the correct method of using it for your child.

Most manufacturers recommend that kids remain rear-facing until they're at the age of one or until they reach their car seat's weight and height limits. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for at minimum two years.

If you have a vehicle with just one back seat, install the portable infant car seat car seat in the middle so you can easily see your child through your rearview mirror without needing to lean over. It's also helpful to place 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 get your child in or out of their car seat.

If you own a car that has two back seats you can install the infant car seat on either side as you don't place it in front of the passenger-side airbag. If you must choose between installing an infant car seat on either the left or the right side of your vehicle, install it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who have outgrown their infant car seat due to weight and height will need a booster until the vehicle's seat belt fits them properly. This is only possible when they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top 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 properly. They also decrease the distance the child's head moves during an accident, which reduces the chance of injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of kids ages 4-8, and head motion is the biggest culprit.

If the booster is not used correctly the lap part of the belt may slide up over a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in a crash. This can be avoided by using a booster equipped with lap belt guides that prevent the lap belt from slipping over arm rests or sliding onto a child's stomach.

Many boosters are designed with small handles, armrests, or guide slots that aid to place the lap belt in a low and flat position across the child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt starts and stays on a child's strong hip bones instead of being pushed up into their stomachs in the event of an accident.

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