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 can be used rear-facing or forward-facing, however they have to meet certain age and weight specifications.
Car seats should not be placed on top of a car seat that has airbags because the force of the airbag can be fatal for children and babies.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents inquire if an infant car seat may be placed on top of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason for this is quite 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 result is that the airbag could injure or kill the baby.
Infant car seats are only designed to be rearward-facing. The back of the seat rests against the back of the vehicle seat in the event of a crash, providing the
best car seats newborn protection for your baby.
In addition, a rear-facing car seat protects the head and neck of your child more than a forward-facing car seat, which provides only minimal head and neck protection. The headrest keeps your child from falling out of the shoulder straps during an accident. The harness holds the chest clip above the shoulders.
It's important to note that there are ZERO instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs when they strike the rear of the front seat. This occurs when a child's feet are lifted and then get trapped against the back of the seat, which puts tremendous pressure on the bones of the leg. This is not something you should put your child in danger of.
There are numerous programs across the country for parents who qualify to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is placed in an appropriate car seat before they outgrow it and use it in a safe manner for a long time.
The base of most modern infant car seats is designed to be easily removed and installed, making them more convenient to use. This feature is particularly beneficial when traveling with children since you can keep the seat in place and ready for use even if you change vehicles.
Before you take your child's seat make sure that the back of the car seat will be in contact with the vehicle seat's back by finding the center of the seat and measuring with a tape measure. A lot of things, like the blade of a key for the house or the length of earbuds with wireless technology, are about 1.5 inches long and can be used to determine this space. After that, you should check the instructions on your car seat as well as the owners' manuals for the vehicle to determine whether you can adjust the angle of the car seat to remove the space.
2. Harness Position
Preemies and newborns frequently fall into a dangerous chest-to-chin position in infant car seats, bouncy seats, swings, strollers and other children's equipment. In a crash the children could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. 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. Adjust them to prevent this. The straps must be secure enough to hold the excess fabric together. This is known as the Pinch Test. Overly bulky outer layers such as winter coats may hinder this, so make sure to remove them prior to you buckle your child into their seat.
The chest clip is designed for a crash, however it could compress a neck of the child if it's too low or if they are loose. It is also essential that the chest strap is not in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be positioned at the armpit level.
In the event of a crash, children who are rear-facing may slide down the seat. The harness straps must be able to support the child's neck and head. This is why it's crucial that the straps are placed over the shoulders. If the straps fall too low, they may slide through the opening on the neck of the baby or over their ears. If they're too loose, they may touch the face of the child.
Make sure the shoulder straps are snugly fitted and in the slots above or around 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 this slot. Some
infant car seats uk car seats include angle indicators or adjustors to assist you in this. You may also want to check the instructions that come in your 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, but there's no need to do this. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing, as the child's neck and spine are supported in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards by the vehicle and could cause serious injuries.
A majority of infant car seats include an angle indicator built-in to ensure that the seat is correctly installed. Also, you must ensure that your child's head is flat against the seat and the harness straps are put over their shoulders, not under their arms or bent. You can pinch a small amount of material at their shoulder to determine whether the harness is secure enough. Check the crotch strap and make sure it is at the same level as the armpits, and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read the manual for your infant car seat in front seat;
3.13.251.167, car seat to be aware of the proper method of using it for your child.
The majority of manufacturers recommend that children remain rear-facing until they're at least 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 they are two years old.
Install the
infant car seat on the middle seat of a car that only has one back seat. This will allow you to view your child clearly through the rearview mirror without having to bend over. Installing the
newborn car seat insert seat on your driver's side also makes it easier to get your child into and out of the seat.
If you own a car that has two back seats you can put the infant car seat on either side as you don't place it behind the passenger side air bag. If you must decide between installing an
infant car seats cheap car seat on the left or right side of your vehicle, install it on the driver's side.
4. Booster Seats
All children who exceed the size of their infant car seat by weight or height must use a booster seat until the seat belt fits them properly. This is only possible when they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the seat manufacturer's recommendations for exact measurements).
Booster seats are a great way to position the lap belt and shoulder properly. Booster seats also help reduce how far the neck of a child moves during a collision, reducing the risk of injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of kids ages 4-8, and head motion is the biggest culprit.
If a booster isn't used correctly the lap belt can be able to slide over the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in an accident. This can be prevented by using a booster that has lap belt guides that prevent the lap belt from climbing over arm rests or sliding onto a child's stomach.
Many boosters come with small handles, armrests or guide slots to help put the lapbelt flat on a child's top 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 soft stomach area in the event of a crash.
Some booster seats are also designed with the mechanism to lock the seat belt to keep the belt in place when children are sitting in it. This will help prevent the lap belt from slipping up over a child's abdomen. This may also help stop the seat belt from being pulled over the face of a child, which could result in hypoxia and airway obstruction as also neck strain.
