Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
When children outgrow their infant car seats, they can switch to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats are available in both rear-facing and forward-facing versions however, they must meet certain weight and age requirements.
Car seats should not be placed on top of a car seat with airbags, since the force of the airbag could be fatal for infants and children.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents inquire if an infant car seat may be placed in front of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason is very simple: If a crash happens and the child is involved, they could get their head hit by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The result is that the airbag could cause injury or even death to the child.
Infant car seats are only designed to be rear-facing. The seat's back rests against the rear of the car seat in the event of a collision, ensuring the best protection for your infant.
In addition, the rear-facing car seat safeguards the neck and head of your child more than a forward-facing one, which provides only minimal neck and head protection. The headrest also prevents the child from falling off the shoulder straps in a crash, and the harness keeps the chest clip in place above the shoulders of your child.
It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO known instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs when they hit the back of the front seat. This happens when a kid's feet rise and trap them against the back of the seat and put a great deal of pressure into the leg bones. There's no reason to put your child at risk for this.
There are numerous programs throughout the country that allow parents who meet the criteria to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that your child is in a safe car seat before they get out of it. It can be used for a number of years.
The base of most modern infant car seats is designed to be removed and installed, making them more convenient to use. This feature is particularly beneficial for traveling with young kids because it allows you to keep the seat in place and ready for use even when you change vehicles.
Find the middle of the seat and measure with a tape. This space can be tested with many objects, including the blade of a key or the length wireless earbuds. After that, you should check the instructions for your car seat and vehicle owner's manual to see whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to remove the space.
2. Harness Position
In the infant car seats and bouncers, swings strollers, and other equipment for children, infants and preemies could get into a dangerous situation with their chests and chins touching. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the straps on the harness that are too loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are placed slightly below the shoulders of the child, and then, when they are up, they should be over their shoulders. Tighten them to avoid this. The straps should be tight enough to pinch excess fabric to each other. This is called the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers could interfere with the Pinch Test, so remove them prior to putting your child into their seat.
The chest clip is designed to break in a crash, but it may be compressed on the throat of a child if it's too low or when the chest straps are too 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 a crash, infants who are facing rearwards will slide down the seat. The harness straps should be sufficient to support the head and neck of the child. It is crucial to place the straps above the shoulders. If the straps aren't high enough, they could slide over the baby's ears or slide through their neck opening, and if they're too loose, they could move up to the child's nose.
Make sure the shoulder straps are securely fitted and in the slots above or around the child's shoulders. Newborns might need an infant insert (often included in the car seat), to lift their shoulders until they can reach the slot. Some infant car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors to help with this and you can always check the instructions that came with the seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
Some parents might be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are becoming shorter in the seat facing rearwards, however there is no reason to do this. The rear-facing position is much safer than a forward-facing one because in the event of a collision, the baby's body will press against the seat, and their spine and neck will be supported. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle, and may cause serious injuries.
A lot of infant car seats include an angle indicator built in so that you can ensure the seat is correctly installed. It is also important to ensure that your child's head is flat against the seat and the harness straps are put over their shoulders, not beneath their arms or bent. To determine whether the harness is too tight it is best to hold a small amount material on your child's shoulder. Check the crotch strap to make sure it is at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read your infant car seat manual so you know the proper method to use it with your child.
The majority of manufacturers recommend that children ride rear-facing until they're at minimum one year old or until they reach their car seat's weight and height limits. Some states have laws requiring infants to be rear-facing for a minimum of two years.
Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle that only has one back seat. This will allow you to see your child comfortably through the rearview mirror, without having to bend. Installing the car seat on your driver's side also makes it easier to get your child in and out of the seat.
If your vehicle has two rear seats the infant car seat can be set on either side, as 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 the left or the right side of your vehicle, put it on the driver’s side.
4. best car seat who have outgrown their infant car seat due to their weight and height will require a booster until the vehicle's seat belt fits them properly. This can only be done when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.
Booster seats can help position the lap belt and shoulder correctly. They can also reduce the distance the child's head moves during a crash, which decreases the risk of injury. Head movement is the main reason behind motor vehicle crashes which are the most frequent fatality for children between the ages of 4 and 8.
If a booster is used incorrectly the lap part of the belt can travel up over a child's abdomen and cause major injuries in an accident. This is avoided by using 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 or armrests, or guide slots to help position the lapbelt low and flat on a child's upper legs. This ensures that the lapbelt starts and remains on the hipbones of a child's strength instead of moving upwards into their abdominal area in the event of a crash.
Some booster seats have an automatic seatbelt lock mechanism that keeps the seatbelt in place when a child is seated in them. This will help to stop the lapbelt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This will prevent the seatbelt from being pulled up over a child's face. This could lead to airway obstruction and hypoxia, as well neck strain.