Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children outgrow their car seats as infants, they can be moved into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seat for newborn seats can be used rear-facing or forward-facing, however they have to meet certain weight and age requirements.

Car seats should never be placed on top of a car seat with airbags, since the force of the air bag can be lethal for infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents inquire if the infant car seat can be placed on top of the driver's seat, and the answer is always no. The reason is simple: When an accident occurs the child's head could be struck by an airbag when in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a baby.

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

Additionally, the rear-facing car seat protects the neck and head of your child better than a forward-facing one which offers only a small amount of neck and head protection. The headrest stops your child from sliding out of the shoulder straps during a crash. The harness keeps the chest clip high above the shoulders.

It's important to remember that there are ZERO known instances of children in car seats that face forwards breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the front seat. This happens when a child's feet are lifted and then get trapped against the rear of the seat, which puts enormous stress on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk of this.

There are also several programs across the country for parents who meet the criteria to receive free or discounted infant car seats. This is a great chance to ensure that your child is in a secure car seat before they grow out of it. It is a great option for children to use for many years.

The majority of the modern infant car seats have a base that they click into and out of, which makes them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is especially helpful for families with small children as it allows you to keep the car seat installed and ready for use even when you switch vehicles.

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

2. Harness Position

In infant car seats, bouncers, swings strollers, as well as other equipment for children, infants and preemies may get into a dangerous situation with their chests pressed against their chins. In the event of a collision they could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. Make sure that the straps are positioned slightly 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 must be secure enough to hold the excess fabric together. This is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers can hinder the Pinch Test, so be sure to remove them prior to putting your child into their seat.

The chest clip is designed to protect against a fall, but it could compress a neck of the child if it's too low or if they are not tight enough. The chest clip should not be placed in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash, rear-facing infants can slide across the seat and the harness straps need to be able to cradle the child's neck and head. This is why it's important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too low, they could slide through the neck opening of the baby or over their ears. If they're too loose, they can reach the child's face.

Ensure the shoulder straps are at or above the shoulders of your child and they fit comfortably. Infants may require an infant Car seat in front seat insert (often provided with the car seat) to raise their shoulders until they can fit into this slot. Some infant car seats come with angle indicators or adjustors to assist you in this. You can also refer to the instructions that come with the seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

Parents may be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are becoming shorter in the rear-facing seat, however there is no reason to do this. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing as the infant's spine and neck are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children are more susceptible to serious injuries as their bodies are thrown into the vehicle.

Additionally, many infant car seats have an angle indicator built-in so that you can be sure the seat is correctly installed. Also, you must ensure that your child's head is level against the seat, and that the harness straps are put over their shoulders, not under their arms or bent. You can pinch a tiny bit of fabric at their shoulder to determine that the harness is snug enough. It is also essential to examine the strap that holds the crotch to be sure that it is at a level with the armpits, rather than at the waist. You should also review the manual of your infant car seat to ensure that you know how to properly use it.

Most manufacturers recommend that children sit rear-facing in their car seats until they are at least one year old, or until they reach the height and weight limits of their specific 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 vehicle that has only one rear seat. This will allow you to see your child easily through the rearview mirror, without having to bend over. Installing the car seat on the driver's side will also make it easier to get your child in and out of the seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats, the infant car seat can be set on either side, as long as it's not in the airbag's front on the passenger side. If you must choose between installing an infant car seat on either the left or right side of your vehicle, put it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who have outgrown their infant car seat best car seat due to weight and height will require a booster until the vehicle's seat belt is fitted 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 can also limit the distance the child's head moves during the crash, which lowers the chance of injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of kids ages 4-8, and head motion is the most significant cause.

If a booster is not properly used, the lap portion can be able to slide over the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in the event of an accident. This can be avoided with a belt guide on the booster that prevents the lap belt from sliding up onto a child's stomach or climbing over armrests.

A lot of boosters have handles that are small, armrests or guide slots to help put the lapbelt flat on a child's upper legs. This will ensure that the lapbelt begins and stays on the strong hipbones of the child instead of moving upwards into their abdomen area during a crash.

Some booster seats are equipped with the mechanism to lock the seat belt to ensure that the belt is in place when children are sitting in it. This can help in preventing the lap belt from moving over the abdomen of a child. This can also help to prevent the belt from being pulled over the face of a child, which could cause hypoxia and airway obstruction as also neck strain.