Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
As children outgrow their car seats for infants, they can move into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seats are available in forward-facing and rear-facing models, but they must 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 airbag can be fatal for children and babies.
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 In the event of a crash and the child is involved, they could get their head struck by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The result is that the airbag can injure or kill the baby.
This is why infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing only. In the event of a collision the back of the seat will rest against the back of your vehicle seat. This provides the best protection for your infant.
In addition, the rear-facing car seat protects the neck and head of your child more than a forward-facing car seat, which provides only minimal neck and head protection. The headrest prevents the child from falling off the shoulder straps during a crash, and the harness keeps the chest clip above your child's 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 strike the rear of the seat. This happens when a kid's feet fly up and trap them against the back of the seat, which puts tremendous stress on the bones of the leg. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk of this.
There are a variety of programs in the United States that offer infant car seats at a discounted price or at no cost for parents who meet the requirements. This is a great chance to ensure your child is in a safe car seat before they get out of it. It can be used for many years.
The majority of new infant car seats come with an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, making them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is especially helpful for traveling with young children as it allows you to keep the car seat installed and ready for use even when switching vehicles.
Find the center of the vehicle seat and measure it using the aid of a tape. 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. Review the instructions for your car seat and the owner's manual for your vehicle to see whether the angle is adjusted to remove the space.
2. Harness Position
Preemies and infants often are prone to fall into a risky chest-to-chin position in infant car seats, bouncy chairs, strollers, swings and other equipment for children. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the harness straps that are loose or not placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, ensure that the shoulder straps start slightly below and come upwards over the shoulders of the child and make sure you tighten the straps. The straps should be tight enough to pinch excess fabric to each other. This is called the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats can interfere with this, so make sure to take them off prior to buckling your child in their seat.
The chest clip is made to protect against a fall, but it could compress a neck of the child if it's too low or are too loose. It's also important that the chest clip is not in the neck opening of the collar - the buckle should be positioned at armpit height.
In a crash, infants who are rear-facing will likely slide down the seat. The harness straps must be able to support the child's neck and head. It is essential to put the straps on the shoulders. If the straps are placed too low, they can slide through the opening on the neck of the infant or over their ears. If they are too loose, they can be able to reach the face of the child.
Make sure that the straps for your child's shoulders are properly fitted and positioned in the slots above or on the shoulders of your child. Newborns may require an infant insert (often provided with the car seat), to raise their shoulders until they reach this slot. Some infant car seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors that help with this and you can always check the instructions that came with your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
While some parents might be tempted to flip their infant car seat to face forward, due to their child's legs being too short in the rear-facing position really no reason to do so. The rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing one because in the event of a collision, the baby's body will be pressed against the seat, and their neck and spine will be supported. Children who are facing forwards are thrown backwards against the vehicle and can cause serious injuries.
A lot of infant car seats come with an angle indicator built in to help you ensure the seat is properly installed. Also, you should ensure that your child's head is flat on the seat, and that the straps are on their shoulders rather than under their arms. You should be able to squeeze a tiny bit of fabric at their shoulders to ensure whether the harness is secure enough. Check the crotch strap to make sure it's at the same level as the armpits, and not at the waist. You should also read the manual of your infant car seat so you are aware of how to properly use it.
best car seats pushchairsandprams advise that children sit rear-facing in their car seats until they are at least one year old or until they reach the weight and height limit of their particular car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to remain rear-facing until they are two years old.
If you have a vehicle with just one rear seat, place the infant car seat in the middle so that you can easily see your child's face through the rearview mirror without having to lean back. 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 car every time you want to get your child in or out of their car seat.
If you own a car with two rear seats, you can place the infant car seat on either side as you don't place it behind the passenger side air bag. If you have to choose 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
Children who outgrow their infant car seat by weight or height must use a booster seat until their vehicle seat belt fits them properly. This is only possible 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 can help position the shoulder and lap belts properly. They also limit how far the neck of a child moves during collisions, which reduces the risk of injury. Head movement is the most common cause of motor vehicle crashes, which are the leading fatality for children between the ages of 4 and 8.
If a booster is not used correctly the lap belt could be able to slide over the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in the event of an accident. This can be prevented by using a booster with lap belt guides that prevent the lap belt from sliding over arm rests or sliding up onto a child's stomach.
Many boosters have small handles, armrests or guide slots to place the lap belt low and flat on the child's upper legs. This ensures that the lapbelt starts and stays on the hipbones of a child's strength, rather than moving up into their soft abdomen region during the event of a crash.
Certain booster seats feature a seatbelt locking mechanism that keeps the seatbelt in place when a child sits in them. This can help stop the lapbelt from moving upwards and over the child's abdomen. This can help prevent the seatbelt from being pulled over a child's face. This can lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction, as well as neck strain.