Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

When children outgrow their infant car seats, they can change to convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats can be used rear or forward-facing, however they have to meet certain weight and age requirements.

Car seats should not 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, and the answer is always no. The reason is simple If a collision occurs and the child is in the front seat, they could have their head struck by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The airbag can injure or even kill a child.

This is the reason why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. The seat’s back rests against the rear of the car seat in a collision, ensuring the best car seat infant protection for your baby.

In addition, the rear-facing car seat protects the neck and head of your child more than a forward-facing car seat which offers only a small amount of head and neck protection. The headrest stops your child from falling off the shoulder straps in 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 strike the rear of the front 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. This is not something you want to put your child at risk of.

There are a variety of programs in the United States that provide infant car seats at a discounted price or free for parents who meet the requirements. This is a great chance to get your child in a secure car seat before they grow out of it. It can be used for many years.

The majority of the new infant car seats come with an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, making them much easier to use than older models. This feature is particularly useful for families with young children because 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 vehicle seat’s back by finding the middle of the seat and measuring with a tape to determine. This space can be checked using a variety of things, such as the blade of a key or the length of the wireless earbuds. After that, you should check the instructions on your car seat as well as the vehicle owner’s manual to see whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to eliminate this space.

2. Harness Position

In the travel infant car seat car seats and bouncers, swings, strollers, and other toys for children, newborns and preemies may fall into a dangerous position with their chests pressed against their chins. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps on the harness that are loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. Check that the straps are placed just a little below the shoulders of the child and then they will be able to rise over their shoulders. Tighten them to avoid this. The straps should be tight enough to pinch excess fabric to each other. This is known as the Pinch Test. Overly bulky outer layers such as winter coats may hinder this, so be sure to take them off prior to placing your child in their seat.

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

In the event of a crash rear-facing infants are likely to slide up the seat and the harness straps should 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 are too low, they could slide through the opening on the neck of the infant car seat swivel or over their ears. If they are too loose, they could be able to reach the face of the child.

Make sure that the shoulder straps are properly fitted and positioned in the slots above or around the shoulders of your child. Newborns may need a separate infant insert (often included with the car seat) to raise them up so their shoulders reach this slot. Some infant car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors that aid in this process and you should always refer to the instructions included with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

Some parents might be enticed by the fact that their child’s legs are getting shorter in the rear-facing seat, but there is no need to do this. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing, as the child’s neck and spine are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children’s bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle and can cause serious injury.

Additionally, many infant car seats come with a built-in angle indicator so you can ensure that the seat is properly installed. It is also important to ensure that your child’s head is flat on the seat, and that the straps are over their shoulders instead of under their arms. To determine if the harness is too tight, you should be able hold a small amount material on your child’s shoulder. Check the crotch strap to make sure it’s at the same height as the armpits and not at the waist. You should also read the manual for your infant car seat so that you know how to properly use it.

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

If you have a vehicle with only one back seat, install the infant car seat in the middle so that you can easily view your child’s reflection in your rearview mirror without having to lean over. It is also beneficial to put the car seat on the driver’s side, so you do not have to walk all the way around your vehicle every time you want to get your child in or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats the infant car seat rear facing car seat in front seat (http://www.72c9aa5escud2b.com) car seat can be set on either side so long as it’s not in the airbag’s direction on the passenger’s side. If you have to choose between installing an infant car seat on either the left or right side of your vehicle, you can install it on the driver’s side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who outgrow their infant car seat due to weight and height must be fitted with a booster seat until the vehicle seat belt fits them properly. This is only possible when the child is at a minimum 4’9″ tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats help to position the shoulder belt and lap correctly. They can also reduce the distance that a child’s skull moves during a crash, which decreases the risk of injury. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of children between the ages of 4-8, and head movement is the biggest culprit.

If a booster isn’t properly used the lap belt can slide across a child’s abdomen and cause serious injuries in the event of an accident. This can be prevented by using a booster equipped with lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding up on a child’s belly.

Many boosters are equipped with small handles, armrests or guide slots that aid to position the lap belt in a low and flat position across a child’s upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt begins and stays on a child’s sturdy hip bones instead of slipping into their stomachs during an accident.

Some booster seats have an automatic seatbelt lock mechanism that locks the seatbelt in place when a child sits in them. This will help to keep the lap belt from moving upwards and over the child’s abdomen. This will to stop the seat belt from being pulled upwards over a child’s face. This could cause hypoxia and airway obstruction, as well as neck strain.