Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

When children have outgrown their infant car seats uk car seats, they can change to convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats are available in rear-facing and forward-facing versions, but they must meet certain weight and age 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 babies and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

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

Infant car seats are 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 infant.

In addition, the rear-facing car seat protects the head and neck of your child more than a forward-facing one which offers only a small amount of head and neck protection. The headrest also prevents the child from slipping off the shoulder straps in a crash and the harness holds the chest clip above your child's shoulders.

It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs when they hit the back of the front seat. This happens when children's feet are lifted and then get caught against the rear of the seat, putting enormous stress on the bones of the legs. This is not something you should put your child in danger of.

There are also several programs across the country for parents who meet the criteria to get discounted or free infant car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure your child is in a secure car seat before they outgrow of it. It can be used for many years.

Most 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 especially beneficial for families with small children as it allows you to keep the car seat in place and ready to go even if you change vehicles.

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

2. Harness Position

In the infant car seats as well as swings, bouncers strollers, as well as other equipment for children, infants and preemies could get into a dangerous situation with their chests and chins touching. In the event of a collision the children could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. Make sure that the straps are placed just a little below the shoulders of the child and then, when they are up, they should be over their shoulders. Make sure they are tight to prevent this. The straps should be tight enough that you can pinch any excess fabric together - this is called the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers could interfere with the Pinch Test, so take them off them before you buckle your child in their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break during a crash, but it may compress on a child's throat if it's too low or when the chest straps are too loose. It's also crucial that the chest clip is not placed in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be placed at armpit height.

In the event of a crash, children who are rear-facing will likely slide down the seat. The harness straps must be capable of supporting the child's neck and head. It is important to place the straps above the shoulders. If the straps aren't high enough, they can slip over the baby's ears or slide through their neck opening, and if they are too loose, they can slide toward the child's nose.

Make sure that the shoulder straps are in the slots over the shoulders of your child and they fit comfortably. Infants may require an Infant Car Seat In Front Seat insert (often included with the car seat) to lift them up so their shoulders reach the 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 that came with the seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents may be tempted to flip their infant car seats uk car seat to face forward, due to their child's legs getting too short in the rear-facing position, there is really no reason to do so. The rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing one 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 can cause serious injury.

Additionally, a lot of infant best car seats seats have an angle indicator built-in so that you can ensure that the seat is installed correctly. Also, you must ensure that your child's head is flat against the seat and that the harness straps are placed over their shoulders, not beneath their arms or twisted. To determine whether the harness is tight you should be able to squeeze a small amount of material at your child's shoulder. Check the crotch strap to make sure it is at the same height as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also an excellent idea to go through the manual for your infant car seat so you know the proper method of using it for your child.

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

If you have a vehicle that has only one back seat, install the infant car seat in the middle of the vehicle so you can easily see your child through your rearview mirror without having to lean over. Installing the car seat on your driver's side will also make it easier to get your child in and out of the seat.

If you own a car with two back seats, you can install the infant car seat on either side so you don't place it directly in front of the passenger side airbag. However, if you have to decide whether to install the infant car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, put it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who outgrow their infant best car seat for newborn seat due to weight and height should be fitted with a booster seat until the seat belt fits them properly. This can only be done when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats help to position the shoulder belt and lap properly. They can also reduce the distance the child's head moves during a crash, which decreases the risk of injuries. Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the main cause.

If a booster isn't used correctly the lap belt could be able to slide over the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in an accident. This is avoided by using a belt guide on the booster, which stops the lap belt from sliding onto the stomach of a child or climbing over armrests.

Many boosters have small handles or armrests, or guide slots to place the lap belt low and flat on a child's upper legs. This will ensure that the lapbelt begins and remains on the hipbones of a child's strength, rather than moving up into their soft abdomen region during a crash.

Some booster seats are also designed with a seat belt locking mechanism to keep the seat belt in place when the child is in it. This will help prevent the lap belt from moving over a child's abdomen. This can also help to keep the belt from being pulled across the face of a child. This could result in hypoxia and airway obstruction as and neck strain.