Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children outgrow their car seats as infants, they can move into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seats can be used rear-facing or forward-facing, but they must to meet certain weight and age requirements.

It is not recommended to place car seats behind airbags on the vehicle seat, since the force of the airbag could be fatal for babies and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

Many parents wonder if the infant car seat newborn car seat could be placed in front of the vehicle driver's seat, and the answer is always no. The reason is simple: If a crash happens 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 could cause harm or even death to the infant.

This is the reason why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. The back of the seat rests against the rear of the car seat in a crash, providing the most effective protection for your baby.

A rear-facing car seat protects your child's neck and head better than a front-facing seat that offers only minimal protection. The headrest also stops the child from slipping off the shoulder straps during a crash and the harness will keep the chest clip in place above the shoulders of your child.

It's important to remember that there are ZERO instances of children in forward-facing car seats breaking their legs after hitting the back of the front vehicle seat. This occurs when a child's feet rise and become stuck against the rear of the seat, which puts tremendous pressure on the leg bones. This is not something you should put your child at risk of.

There are several programs in the United States that offer infant car seat swivel car seats at a reduced price or at no cost to parents who qualify. This is a great way to get your child into a secure car seat before they get out of it and use it in a safe manner for a long time.

The base of the majority of modern infant car seats is designed to be easily removed and installed, making them more convenient to use. This feature is especially useful for families with young children since you can keep the car seat installed and ready to use even when you change vehicles.

Find the middle of the seat and measure with the aid of a tape. This space can be tested with many objects, including the blade of a key or the length of earbuds wireless. Check the instructions for the car seat and the owner's manual of your vehicle to determine whether the angle is adjusted to eliminate the space.

2. Harness Position

Preemies and newborns frequently fall into a dangerous chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats strollers, swings and other children's equipment. In a crash, they can be injured or crushed by the chest clip. Check that the straps are set just 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 tight enough to pinch excess fabric together. This is known as the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats may hinder this so be sure to take them off prior to buckling your child in 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 if the chest straps aren't tight enough. It's also important that the chest clip is not placed in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be positioned at armpit level.

During a crash, rear-facing infants are likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps need to be able to hold the neck and head of the child. It is important to place the straps above the shoulders. If the straps are too high they can slip over the baby's ears, or go through the opening in their neck, and if they're too loose, they can slide up to the child's nose.

Make sure the shoulder straps are securely fitted and in the slots above or on the child's shoulders. Infants may require an infant insert (often included in the car seat) to lift their shoulders until they can reach the slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors that could assist you in this. You can also refer to the instructions included in your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents may be tempted to flip their infant car seat around to face forward because of their child's legs being too short in the rear-facing position, there is really no reason to do so. The rear-facing seat is safer than the forward-facing position because in the event of a crash the baby's body will tense against the seat, and their neck and spine will be supported. Children who are facing forwards are thrown backward against the vehicle and could cause serious injuries.

Many infant car seats also come with an angle indicator built in so that you can ensure the seat is installed correctly. You should also make sure that your child's head rests flat on the seat and that the straps are on their shoulders, not under their arms. You should be able to squeeze a tiny bit of fabric at their shoulders to ensure that the harness is snug enough. Check the crotch strap and make sure it's at the same level as the armpits, and not at the waist. You should also review the manual for your infant car seat rear facing car seat so that you know how to properly use it.

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 have a vehicle that has only one rear seat, place the Infant Car Seat In Front Seat car seat in the middle so that you are able to easily see your child's reflection in your rearview mirror without having to lean over. 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 vehicle each time you want to put your baby in or out of their car seat.

If you have a vehicle with two rear seats, you can put the infant car seat on either side so long as it's not behind the passenger side airbag. If you have to choose between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, place it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

Children 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 is only possible when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats can assist in positioning the lap belt and shoulder correctly. Booster seats can also reduce the amount that a neck of a child moves during collisions, which reduces the risk of injury. Head movement is the most common cause of motor vehicle crashes that are the top killers of children ages 4-8.

If the booster is not used correctly the lap portion of the belt can travel up over a child's abdomen and cause severe injuries in the event of a crash. 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.

A lot of boosters come 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 lapbelt starts and stays on the child's strong hipbones, rather than moving upwards into their abdominal region during the event of a crash.

Some booster seats are designed with a seat belt locking mechanism to keep the belt in place when children are sitting in it, and this will help prevent the lap belt from moving over the abdomen of a child. This can also help keep the belt from being pulled over the face of a child. This could cause airway obstruction and hypoxia, as and neck strain.