Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
As children grow out of their infant car seats they can be moved into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seats can be used rear-facing or forward-facing but they need to meet certain age and weight requirements.
Car seats should never be placed in front of a vehicle seat equipped with airbags, as the force of the deployed air bag can be lethal for children and babies.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents wonder if an infant car seat in front seat (Opensourcebridge.science) car seat may be placed in front of the vehicle driver's seat. 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, especially if they are in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a baby.
This is the reason why infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing only. In the event of a collision, the seat's back will rest against the rear of your best car seats seat. This provides the best car seats infant protection for the infant.
In addition, the rear-facing car seat safeguards the head and neck of your child better than a forward-facing seat that offers only minimal head and neck protection. The headrest stops your child from slipping out of the shoulder straps in a crash. The harness keeps the chest clip up above the shoulders.
It's important to keep in mind that there have been ZERO reported instances of children riding forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the seat. This happens when a child's feet fly up and get caught against the back of the seat and put a great deal of pressure on the bones of the legs. This is not something you want to put your child at risk of.
There are a variety of programs across the country for parents who meet the criteria to receive free or discounted infant car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to get your child in a secure car seat for newborn seat before they grow out of it. It is a great option for children to use for many years.
The base of many newer infant car seat models is designed to be removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is particularly useful when traveling with children as it allows you to keep the car seat in place and ready for use even when switching vehicles.
Find the middle of the seat and measure with a tape. Many items, such as the blade of a house key or the length of earbuds with wireless technology are approximately 1.5 inches long and can be used to test for this space. Check the instructions for the car seat as well as the owner's manual for your vehicle to determine whether the angle can be adjusted to eliminate the space.
2. Harness Position
In infant car seats as well as swings, bouncers strollers, as well as other toys for children, newborns and preemies can fall into a dangerous position with their chins touching their chests. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the harness straps that are loose or not placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are placed slightly below the shoulders of the child and then they will be able to rise over their shoulders. Make sure they are tight to prevent this. The straps should be snug enough to allow you to squeeze any fabric that is not tight enough This is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers could interfere with the Pinch Test, so take them off them prior to putting your child into their seat.
The chest clip is designed for a crash, however it can compress the child's neck if it is too low or if they are not tight enough. It is also essential that the chest clip is not placed in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be positioned at armpit height.
In the event of a crash who are facing rearwards will slide off the seat. The harness straps must be able to support the head and neck of the child. This is why it's important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too low they can slip over the lightweight baby car seat's ears or slide through the neck opening and if they are too loose, they could move toward the child's nose.
Make sure that the straps for your child's shoulders are snugly fitted and in the slots above or at the shoulders of your child. Infants may require an infant insert (often included with the car seat) to lift them up so their shoulders reach the slot. Some infant car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors to help with this and you should always read the instructions that came with your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
Parents may be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are becoming shorter in the seat facing rearwards, but there is no need to do this. Rear-facing is more secure than forward-facing, as the child's spine and neck are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backward against the vehicle and could cause serious injuries.
Many infant car seats also come with an angle indicator built-in to help you ensure the seat is installed correctly. Also, you should ensure that your child's head is on the seat flat, and that the straps are on their shoulders instead of under their arms. You should be able to squeeze a small amount of material on their shoulder to confirm that the harness is tight enough. It is also essential to examine the strap around the crotch to make sure it is level with the armpits, not at the waist. It is also an excellent idea to go through the manual for your infant car seat so you know the proper way to use it for your child.
Most manufacturers recommend that kids ride rear-facing until they're at minimum one year old or until they reach their car seat's weight and height limits. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing until two years old.
If you own a vehicle with just one back seat, install the infant car seat in the middle of the vehicle so you can easily view your child's reflection in your rearview mirror without needing 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 car every time you want to put your baby in or out of their car seat.
If you own a car with two back seats, you can place the infant car seat on either side so long as it isn't directly in front of the passenger side air bag. If you need to decide whether to install the infant car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, place it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
All children who outgrow their car seat for infants by weight or 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 a minimum 4'9" tall and has reached the top rated baby car seats of the headrest.
Booster seats assist in positioning the shoulder belt and lap properly. They can also limit the distance that a child's head moves during the crash, which lowers the chance of injuries. Motor vehicle crashes are the most fatal killer of children aged 4-8, and head movement is the most significant cause.
If a booster is not properly used 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 avoided by using a belt guide on the booster, which stops the lap belt from sliding onto a child's stomach or climbing over armrests.
Many boosters have small handles and armrests or guide slots that help put the lapbelt flat on the child's upper legs. This ensures that the lap belt is placed and stays on the child's strong hip bones instead of being pushed up into their stomachs during a crash.
Some booster seats come with a seatbelt locking mechanism that keeps the seatbelt in place when a child sits in them. This can help keep the lap belt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This will keep the seat belt from being pulled up over a child’s face. This could lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction, as well as neck strain.