Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children grow out of their infant car seats they can be moved to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats can be used rear or forward-facing, however they have to meet certain age and weight specifications.

It is not recommended to put car seats behind airbags on the vehicle seat, since the impact of the airbag could be fatal to children and babies.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents ask whether the infant car seat can be placed in front of the vehicle driver's seat, and the answer is always no. The reason for this is quite simple In the event of a crash, the child could have their head struck by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a child.

Infant car seats are only designed to be rear-facing. The back of the seat rests against the back of the seat in a collision, ensuring the best car seats for infants protection for your baby.

A rear-facing car seats protects your child's head and neck better than a front-facing car seat, which only provides the most basic protection. The headrest stops your child from sliding out of the shoulder straps during a crash. The harness holds the chest clip above the shoulders.

It's important to keep in mind that there are ZERO documented instances of children riding forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the seat. This happens when a child's feet fly upwards and trap them against the seat's back which causes a lot of stress on the bones of the leg. There's no reason to put your child at risk for this.

There are numerous programs in the United States that offer infant car seat best car seats at a reduced price or at no cost for parents who meet the requirements. This is a great chance to ensure that your child is in a safe car seat before they outgrow of it. It can be used for a number of years.

Most newer Infant Car Seats (Chessdatabase.Science) come with a 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 families with young children, as it allows you to keep the seat in place and ready for use even when you change vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat check if the car seat back will touch the car seat's back by measuring the center of the seat and measuring with a tape measure. This space is a test that can be done with a variety of things, such as the blade of a key or length wireless earbuds. After that, you should check the car seat's instructions and owners' manuals for the vehicle to determine whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

In baby car seats and bouncers, swings, strollers, and other toys for children, newborns and preemies may be in a dangerous position with their chins touching their chests. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the straps of the harness that are loose or not placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, check that the straps for your shoulders start slightly below and come up over the child's shoulders and ensure that you tighten them. The straps should be snug enough to be able to pinch any fabric that isn't tight enough - this is called the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats can interfere with this, so make sure to remove them prior to placing your child in their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break in a crash, but it may be compressed on the throat of a child in the event that it's too high or if the chest straps aren't tight enough. It is also essential that the chest clip not in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be placed at armpit height.

In the event of a crash, children who are facing rearwards will 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 are placed over the shoulders. If the straps fall too low, they may slide through the neck opening of the baby or even over their ears. If they're too loose, they could reach the child's face.

Make sure the shoulder straps are in the slots at or above your child's shoulders, and that they fit comfortably. Infants may require an infant insert (often included with the car seat) to raise them to ensure their shoulders are in this slot. Some infant car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors that assist 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 turn their infant car seat rear facing car seat to face forward, due to their child's legs becoming too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason to do it. The rear-facing seat is 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 neck and spine will be supported. Forward-facing children can suffer serious injuries as their bodies are thrown into the vehicle.

Many infant car seats also include an angle indicator built-in to ensure that the seat is installed correctly. It is also important to make sure your child's head is level against the seat, and that the harness straps are positioned over their shoulders, not beneath their arms or twisted. To check if the harness is too tight, you should be able hold a small amount material on the shoulder of your child. Check the crotch strap to make sure it is at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read the manual for your infant car seat to be aware of the proper method of using it for your child.

Most manufacturers recommend that children ride rear-facing in their car seats until they are at least one year old or until they have reached the weight and height limits of their specific car seat. Some states have laws that require babies to remain rear-facing until they reach the age of two years old.

If you own a car with only one rear seat, place the best infant carrier car seat car seat in the middle so that you can easily see your child's reflection in your rearview mirror without needing to lean over. Installing the car seat on your driver's side also makes it easier to get your child in and out of the seat.

If you own a car with two back seats, you can place the infant car seat on either side as long as it isn't in front of the passenger-side airbag. If you must decide 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 an additional booster until the car's seat belt fits them properly. This can only happen when they are at a minimum of 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 assist in positioning the lap and shoulder belt correctly. They also decrease the distance the child's head moves during an accident, which reduces the chance of injury. Head movement is the primary cause of motor vehicle crashes which are the most frequent killers of children ages 4-8.

If the booster is not used correctly the lap portion of the belt could slide up to the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in a crash. This can be prevented by using a booster equipped with lap belt guides that stop the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding up onto a child's stomach.

A lot of boosters have handles that are small or armrests, or guide slots to position the lapbelt low and flat on a child's upper legs. This will ensure that the lapbelt starts and remains on the strong hipbones of the child instead of slipping up into their soft abdomen area during a crash.

Some booster seats are also equipped with the mechanism to lock the seat belt to ensure that the belt is secure while a child is sitting in it. This will help prevent the lap belt from moving over a child's abdomen. This may also help prevent the seat belt from being pulled over the face of a child. This could cause hypoxia and airway obstruction, as and neck strain.