Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children outgrow their car seats for infants, they can be moved into convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats can be used rear or forward-facing but they need to meet certain age and weight specifications.

It is not recommended to place car seats behind airbags on the best car seat for newborn seat, because the force of the airbag could cause fatal injuries to infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason is simple: When a crash occurs, the child's head could be hit by an airbag while in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a baby.

Infant car seats are only designed to be rear-facing. The seat's back rests against the back of the seat in a crash, providing the most effective protection for your infant car seats on sale.

In addition, the rear-facing car seat safeguards the head and neck of your child better than a forward-facing one, which provides only minimal neck and head protection. The headrest keeps your child from slipping off the shoulder straps in an accident. The harness holds the chest clip high above the shoulders.

It's important to keep it in mind that there are ZERO known instances of children riding forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when a kid's feet fly upwards and get caught against the seat's back which causes a lot of pressure on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk for this.

There are numerous programs across the country for qualifying parents to get discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great chance to ensure that your child is in a safe car seat before they get out of it. It is a great option for children to use for many years.

The majority of the new infant car seat that swivels car seats have an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, making them much easier to use than older models. This feature is especially beneficial when traveling with children as it allows you to keep the car seat on and ready to go, even when you switch vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat make sure that the back of the car seat will touch the car seat's back by locating the middle of the seat and measuring it using a tape measure. Many things, such as the blade of a key for the house or the length of earbuds that are wireless are approximately 1.5 inches long and can be used to check for this space. Examine the directions for the car seat and the owner's manual for your vehicle to determine whether the angle can be adjusted to eliminate the space.

2. Harness Position

Preemies and newborns frequently get into a potentially dangerous chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other equipment for children. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by harness straps that are loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. Check that the straps are set 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 secure enough that you can pinch any fabric that isn't tight enough This is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other bulky outer layers can interfere with the Pinch Test, so be sure to remove them prior to putting your child into their seat.

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

In the event of a crash rear-facing infants are likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps need to be able to hold the child's neck and head. It is important to place the straps over the shoulders. If the straps are placed too low, they may slide through the neck opening of the baby or even over their ears. If they are too loose, they can reach the child's face.

Ensure the shoulder straps are that are above or below your child's shoulders and that they fit comfortably. Newborns may require an infant insert (often included with the car seat), to raise their shoulders so they can fit into this slot. Some infant car seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors that aid in this process and you should always read the instructions that came with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents may be tempted to turn their infant car seat around to face forward due to their child's legs becoming too short in the rear-facing position really no reason why you should. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing because the baby's neck and spine are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backward against the vehicle, and may cause serious injury.

A lot of infant car seats have an angle indicator built-in to ensure that the seat is correctly installed. Also, you should ensure that your child's head rests on the seat flat, and that the straps are on their shoulders rather than under their arms. You can pinch a little bit of material at their shoulders to ensure that the harness is tight enough. Examine the crotch strap to make sure it is at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. You should also review the manual of your infant car seat to ensure that you know how to use it correctly.

The majority of manufacturers recommend that children sit rear-facing in their car seats until they are at least 1 year old, or until they reach the weight and height limit of their particular car seat. Certain 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 just one rear seat, place the infant car seat in the middle so you are able to easily see your child's face through the rearview mirror without having to lean over. It's also helpful to place the car seat on the driver's side so you do not have to walk all the way around your vehicle every time you need to take your child into or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats the infant car seat can be installed on either side so that it is not in the airbag's direction on the passenger side. If you must choose between installing an infant car seats by age 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 have outgrown their infant car seat in front seat (writes in the official Wayranks blog) car seats due to their weight and height will need a booster until the vehicle's seat belt is properly fitted. 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 lap and shoulder belt correctly. They also decrease the distance that a child's head moves during an accident, which reduces the risk of injuries. Head movement is the main reason behind motor vehicle crashes that are the top 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 over a child's abdomen and cause major injuries in a crash. This can be prevented by using a booster equipped with lap belt guides to prevent the lap belt from sliding over arm rests or sliding up on a child's belly.

Many boosters are designed with armrests, handles, or guide slots that allow you to place the lap belt in a low and flat position over a child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt is placed and stays on a child's strong hip bones, instead of slipping into their soft stomach area during a crash.

Certain booster seats feature the seatbelt locking mechanism which locks the seatbelt in place when a child is sitting in them. This can stop the lapbelt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This can help keep the seat belt from being pulled up over a child's face. This could cause airway obstruction and hypoxia as well as neck strain.