Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
As children grow out of their infant car seats they can transition into convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats can be rear-facing or forward-facing but they need to meet certain age and weight specifications.
It is not advised to place car seats behind airbags on the vehicle seat, since the force of the airbag can be fatal to infants and children.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
The answer to this question is no. The reason is simple In the event of a crash and the child is in the front seat, they could have their head hit by an airbag, especially if they are in the front seat. The airbag can cause injury or even kill a child.
Infant car seats are only designed to be rear-facing. In the event of a collision the back of the seat will rest against the back of your vehicle seat. This will provide the most security for the infant.
Additionally, the rear-facing car seat safeguards the neck and head of your child better than a forward-facing one which offers only a small amount of neck and head protection. The headrest also stops the child from falling off the shoulder straps during an accident and the harness holds the chest clip above the shoulders of your child.
It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO known instances of children in forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they hit the rear of the seat. This happens when a child's feet fly upwards and get trapped against the back of the seat, which puts enormous stress on the bones of the legs. This is not something you want to put your child in danger of.
There are a variety of programs in the United States that provide infant car seats at a reduced price or free to parents who qualify. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe seat before they get out of it and can be used in a safe way for many years.
The majority of the modern infant car seats have a base that they click into and out of, which makes them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is particularly useful for traveling with young kids since it allows you to keep the seat installed and ready to use even when you change vehicles.
Find the center of the car seat and measure with a tape. This area can be tested with many objects, including the blade of a key, or the length wireless earbuds. Check the instructions on your car seat as well as the vehicle owner's manual to see if you can adjust the angle of the car seat to eliminate the space.
2. Harness Position
Newborns and preemies often get into a potentially dangerous chest-to-chin position in infant car Seat in front seat (
2e0bu9hpognvjjwqcfdnwi.com) car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other equipment for children. In a crash, they may be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps of the harness that are too loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are set just a little below the shoulders of the child, and then come up over their shoulders. Tighten them to avoid this. The straps must be secure enough to pinch excess fabric together. This is called the Pinch Test. The bulky outer layers of winter coats can interfere with 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 can compress on a child's throat if it's too low or when the chest straps aren't tight enough. The chest clip shouldn't be in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level.
In the event of a crash, rear-facing infants can slide up the seat and the harness straps need to be able to cradle the child's neck and head. This is why it's important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps are too high they could slide over the
baby car seat's ears or go through the neck opening and if they're too loose, they could move up to the child's nose.
Make sure that the shoulder straps are in the slots at or above your child's shoulders, and that they fit snugly. Newborns may need a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to raise them up to ensure their shoulders are in this slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors that could aid you in this. You can also refer to the instructions provided in your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
Some parents might be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are getting shorter in the seat facing rearwards, but there is no need to do this. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing as the infant's neck and spine are supported in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle and can cause serious injuries.
A lot of infant car seats come with an angle indicator so that you can ensure the seat is properly installed. You also need to make sure your child's head rests flat against the seat and that the harness straps are put over their shoulders, not under their arms or bent. To check whether the harness is tight it is
best infant car seat to squeeze a small amount of material at your child's shoulder. It is also important to check the strap around the crotch to make sure it is in line with the armpits, not at the waist. You should also review the manual for your infant car seat to ensure you are aware of how to use it properly.
The majority of manufacturers recommend that children ride rear-facing in their car seats until they are 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.
Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a car with only one back seat. This will allow you to view your child easily through the rearview mirror, without having to bend over. It's also helpful to place the car seat on the driver's side so you don't have to walk all the way around your vehicle every time you want to put your baby in or out of their car seat.
If your vehicle has two back seats, the infant car seat can be placed on either side so that it is not in the airbag's direction on the passenger side. If you need to decide between installing the infant car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, you can put it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
Children who have outgrown their infant car seats due to their weight and height will require an additional booster until the car's seat belt is properly fitted. This can only happen when they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the
top rated baby car seats of their headrest (check the guidelines of the manufacturer of your seat for exact measurements).
Booster seats can assist in positioning the shoulder and lap belts correctly. Booster seats also help reduce the amount that a neck of a child moves during a collision, reducing the risk of injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the most fatal killer of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the most significant cause.
If the booster is not used correctly the lap part of the belt could slide up and over the child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in the event of a crash. This can be avoided by using a booster with lap belt guides that prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding up on a child's stomach.
Many boosters are equipped with armrests, handles or guide slots that aid to keep the lap belt low and flat across a child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt starts and stays on the child's strong hipbones, rather than moving up into their soft abdomen area in the event of an accident.
Some booster seats have the seatbelt locking mechanism which keeps the seatbelt in place when a child is sitting in them. This will help to prevent the lapbelt from slipping up and over the child's abdomen. This can to stop the seat belt from being pulled over a child’s face. This could lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction, as well neck strain.
