Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children outgrow their infant car seats they can transition to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats are available in both forward-facing and rear-facing versions but they must satisfy certain weight and age requirements.

Car seats should never be placed in front of a vehicle seat that has airbags because the force of the airbag could be fatal for infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason is very simple If a collision occurs and the child is in the front seat, they could have their head hit by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The airbag could injure or even kill a baby.

This is the reason why infant car seats are designed to be rear-facing only. The backrest of the seat is positioned against the rear of the car seat in the event of a crash, providing the best car seats infant protection for your baby.

A rear-facing car seat safeguards your child's neck and head more effectively than a front-facing one, which only provides little protection. The headrest prevents your child from slipping off the shoulder straps in an accident. The harness keeps the chest clip up above the shoulders.

It's important to remember that there are ZERO documented cases of kids in car seats that face forwards breaking their legs when they hit the back of the front seat. This happens when a child's feet fly upwards and get caught against the back of the seat, putting tremendous pressure on the leg bones. This is not something you want to put your child in danger of.

There are a variety of programs throughout the country that allow parents who meet the criteria to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe seat before they grow out of it and can be used safely for many years.

The base of most modern infant car seats is designed to be easily removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is particularly beneficial for traveling with young kids because 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 a tape. Many things, such as the blade of a key for the house or the length of earbuds that are wireless are approximately 1.5 inches long and can be used to check for this space. Review the instructions for your car seat as well as the owner's manual of your vehicle to see whether the angle can be adjusted to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

Newborns and preemies often are prone to fall into a risky chin-to-chest posture in infant car seats, bouncy seats, strollers, swings and other toys for children. In the event of a crash the children could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. Check that the straps are positioned just a little below the shoulders of the child and then they will be able to rise over their shoulders. Adjust them to prevent this. The straps should be snug enough to allow you to pinch any excess fabric together This is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other bulky outer layers could interfere with the Pinch Test, so take them off them before you buckle your child into their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break in a crash, but it may cause a child's throat to collapse when it's too low or if the chest straps aren't tight enough. It's also crucial that the chest strap is not located in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be placed at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash, children who are facing rearwards will slide down the seat. The harness straps must be sufficient to support the head and neck of the child. It is essential to put the straps above the shoulders. If the straps fall too low, they could slide through the neck opening of the baby or over their ears. If they're too loose, they could reach the child's face.

Make sure the shoulder straps are snugly fitted and in the slots above or around the shoulders of your child. Newborns may require a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to raise them up to ensure their shoulders are in the slot. Some infant car seats come with angle indicators or adjustors that can assist you in this. You can also check the instructions that come in your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents might be tempted to flip their infant car seat around to face forward due to their child's legs being too short in the rear-facing position, there is really no reason to do it. The rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing position because in the event of a crash the baby's body will be pressed against the seat and their neck and spine will be supported. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards against the vehicle, and may cause serious injury.

In addition, many infant car seat in front seat (visit here) car seats come with an angle indicator built-in so that you can be sure the seat is correctly installed. It is also important to make sure your child's head is flat against the seat and that the harness straps are placed over their shoulders, not beneath their arms or bent. You can pinch a tiny bit of fabric at their shoulder to determine that the harness is tight enough. Check the crotch strap to ensure that it is at the same height as the armpits and 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.

The majority of manufacturers recommend that children use rear-facing seats in their car seats until they reach at least one year old, or until they reach the weight and height limits of their car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for at minimum two years.

If you have a vehicle that has only one back seat, install the infant car seat in the middle so you are able to easily see your child through your rearview mirror without needing to lean over. Installing the car seat on the driver's side can make it easier to get your child in and out of the seat.

If your vehicle has two back seats, the infant car seat can be set on either side as long as it's not in front of the airbag on the passenger's side. If you must decide between installing an infant car seat on the left or right side of your vehicle, install it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who have outgrown their infant car seats newborn seats due to their weight and height will need a booster until the vehicle's seat belt is properly fitted. This is only possible when the child is at a minimum 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats can assist in positioning the shoulder and lap belts correctly. They can also limit the distance that a child's skull moves during a crash, which decreases the risk of injury. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the biggest culprit.

If a booster is used incorrectly the lap part of the belt can travel infant car seat up to the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in the event of a crash. This is avoided by using a belt guide on the booster to stop the lap belt from sliding up onto the stomach of a child or climbing over armrests.

Many boosters come with small handles, armrests or guide slots that help position the lapbelt low and flat on a child's upper legs. This ensures that the lap belt is placed and stays on a child's strong hip bones, instead of moving up into their stomachs during an accident.

Some booster seats have an automatic seatbelt lock mechanism that keeps the seatbelt in place when a child is sitting in them. This can stop the lapbelt from slipping up and over the child's abdomen. This can to stop the seat belt from being pulled upwards over a child's face. This can lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction, and neck strain.