Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
When children have outgrown 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, however they have to meet certain age and weight requirements.
Car seats should never be placed in front of a seat equipped with airbags, as the force of the deployed airbag could be fatal for children and babies.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents ask whether 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 hit by an airbag if in the front seat. The airbag can injure or even kill a baby.
Infant car seats are only designed to be rear-facing. In a crash the back of the seat will be positioned against the back of your vehicle seat. This provides the best protection for your infant.
A rear-facing car seats protects your child's head and neck better than a front-facing seat that only offers little protection. The headrest keeps your child from falling out of the shoulder straps during an accident. The harness keeps the chest clip high above the shoulders.
It's important to note that there are ZERO known instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs when they hit the back of the front vehicle seat. This happens when a child's feet fly upwards and get trapped against the rear of the seat, which puts tremendous pressure on the leg bones. There is no reason to put your child at risk of this.
There are numerous programs throughout the country that allow parents who qualify to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that your child is in a safe car seat before they grow out of it. best car seats for newborns can be used for a number of years.
The base of most modern infant car seats is designed to be easily removed and installed, making them more convenient to use. This feature is particularly useful 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.
Find the center of the vehicle seat and measure with a tape. This space can be tested with many things, such as the blade of a key or length of earbuds wireless. After that, you should check the instructions for your car seat and vehicle owner's manual to see whether you can adjust the angle of the car seat to eliminate this space.
2. Harness Position
In the infant car seats and bouncers, swings, strollers, and other children's gear, newborns and preemies could get into a dangerous situation with their chins touching their chests. In a crash, they can be injured or crushed by the chest clip. To avoid this, ensure that the shoulder straps start a bit lower and move up over the child's shoulders and ensure that you tighten the straps. 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 take them off them prior to putting your child in their seat.
The chest clip is designed to break during a crash, but it may cause a child's throat to collapse if it's too low or when the chest straps are loose. It is also essential that the chest clip is not located in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be placed at armpit level.
In the event of a crash who are rear-facing may slide off the seat. The harness straps must be sufficient to support the head and neck of the child. This is why it's important that the straps are placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too low 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 up to the child's nose.
Ensure the shoulder straps are over your child's shoulders, and that they fit comfortably. Newborns may require a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to raise them to ensure their shoulders are in the slot. Some infant car seats come with angle indicators or adjustors that can aid you in this. You may also want to check the instructions included with your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
While some parents might be tempted to flip their infant car seat around to face forward because of their child's legs becoming too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason to do it. The rear-facing position 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 spine and neck will be supported. Forward-facing children are more susceptible to serious injuries because 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 installed correctly. Also, you should ensure that your child's head rests flat on the seat, and that the straps are over their shoulders rather than under their arms. You should be able to squeeze a small amount of material at their shoulders to ensure that the harness is tight enough. It is also important to check the strap that holds the crotch to be sure it is level with the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read your infant car seat manual to be aware of the proper way to use it for your child.
Most manufacturers recommend that children ride rear-facing in their car seats until they reach at least one year old or until they have reached the height and weight limit of their particular car seat. Some states have laws that require infants to remain rear-facing until two years old.
Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a car that only has one back seat. This will allow you to view your child easily through the rearview mirror without having to bend over. It's also helpful to install the car seat on the driver's side, so you don't have to walk the way around your vehicle each time you want to take your child into or out of their car seat.
If your vehicle has two rear seats, the infant car seat can be set on either side, as that it is not in the airbag's front on the passenger side. If you have to decide between installing the infant car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, put it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
All children who exceed the size of their car seat for infants by weight and height must be fitted with a booster seat until the vehicle 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 are a great way to position the shoulder and lap belts properly. They also limit the amount that a child's neck moves during a collision, reducing the chance of injury. Head movement is the main cause of motor vehicle crashes which are the most frequent fatality for children between the ages of 4 and 8.
If a booster is used improperly the lap portion of the belt may slide up to the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in an accident. This can be avoided with a belt guide on the booster that prevents the lap belt from sliding up onto the stomach of a child or getting over armrests.
Many boosters have small handles and armrests or guide slots to place the lap belt low and flat on a child's upper legs. This will ensure that the lap belt starts and stays on the strong hipbones of the child, rather than moving upwards into their abdominal region during a crash.
Certain booster seats are equipped with an automatic seat belt locking mechanism to keep the seat belt in place when a child is sitting in it. This can help in preventing the lap belt from moving over the abdomen of a child. This can also help keep the seat belt from being pulled across a child's face, which could result in hypoxia and airway obstruction as also neck strain.