Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

When children have outgrown their infant car seats, they can change to convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats can be used rear or forward-facing but they need to meet certain weight and age specifications.

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

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason is simple: If a crash occurs the child's head may be hit by an airbag if in the front seat. The airbag could injure or even kill a baby.

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

In addition, a rear-facing car seat protects the neck and head of your child better than a forward-facing car seat, which provides only minimal head and neck protection. The headrest keeps your child from slipping off the shoulder straps during an accident. The harness holds the chest clip above the shoulders.

It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO known instances of children sitting in forward facing infant car seat-facing seats breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when a child's feet fly up and trap them against the back of the seat which causes a lot of stress on the bones of the leg. This is not something you want to put your child in danger of.

There are numerous programs in the United States for parents who meet the criteria to receive discounted or free infant car seat travel car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is placed in an appropriate car seat before they grow out of it and use it in a safe manner for a long time.

The base of the majority of newer infant car seat models is designed to be easily removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is especially helpful when traveling with children as it allows you to keep the car seat installed and ready to go, even when you switch vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat check if the back of the car seat will be in contact with the vehicle seat's back by locating the middle of the seat and measuring it using a tape measure. Many things, such as 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 test for this space. After that, you should check the instructions on your car seat as well as the 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 as well as swings, bouncers strollers, and other toys for children, newborns and preemies may fall into a dangerous position with their chests and chins touching. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by harness straps that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, check that the straps for your shoulders begin a little below and then come upwards over the shoulders of the child and ensure that you tighten the straps. The straps should be tight enough to allow you to pinch any fabric that isn't tight enough - this is called the Pinch Test. Overly bulky outer layers such as winter coats may hinder this so be sure to remove them prior to placing your child in their seat.

The chest clip was designed for a crash, but it can cause compression to the neck of the child if it's too low or if they are loose. The chest clip shouldn't be located in the neck opening. Instead it should be located at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash, rear-facing infants are more likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps must be able to cradle the child's head and neck. This is why it's important that the straps are placed over 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 can move up to the child's nose.

Make sure the shoulder straps are in the slots over your child's shoulders, and that they fit snugly. Newborns may require a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to raise them so their shoulders reach this slot. Some infant car seat newborn car seats come with built-in angle indicators or adjustors that assist with this, and you should always refer to the instructions that came with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

Parents may be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are getting shorter in the seat facing rearwards, however there is no reason to do this. The rear-facing seat is safer than the forward-facing position because in the event of a crash, the baby's body will be pressed against the seat and their spine and neck will be supported. Children who are facing forwards are thrown backward against the vehicle and could cause serious injuries.

A majority of infant car seats include an angle indicator built-in to help you ensure the seat is properly installed. Also, you must ensure that your child's head is flat against the seat and that the harness straps are put 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. It is also essential to examine the crotch buckle strap to be sure that it is at a level with the armpits, rather than at the waist. It is also a good idea to review the manual of your infant car seat so you know the proper method of using it for your child.

Most manufacturers recommend that kids ride rear-facing until at least one year old or until they reach their car seat's weight and height limits. Certain states have laws that require babies to remain rear-facing until they are two years old.

Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a vehicle with only one back seat. This will allow you to see your child comfortably through the rearview mirror without having to bend over. It is also beneficial to put the car seat newborn insert seat on the driver's side, so you don't have to walk all the way around your car 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 set on either side, as that it is not in front of the airbag on the passenger-side. If you need to decide whether to install the infant car seat in Front seat car seat on the right or left side of the vehicle, put it on the driver's side.

4. Booster Seats

All children who exceed the size of their car seat for infants by weight and height must use a booster seat until the seat belt fits them properly. This can only be done when the child is at a minimum 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.

Booster seats aid in positioning the lap and shoulder belt correctly. Booster seats also help reduce how far the child's neck moves during collisions, reducing the risk of injuries. Head movement is the main cause of motor vehicle accidents, which are the leading killers of children ages 4-8.

If a booster is not properly used, the lap portion can travel over a child’s abdomen and cause serious injuries in an accident. This can be 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.

Many boosters are designed with armrests, handles, or guide slots that help to keep the lap belt low and flat across the child's upper thighs. This will ensure that the lapbelt starts and stays on the child's strong hipbones, rather than moving up into their soft abdomen region during a crash.

Some booster seats are also equipped with an automatic seat belt locking mechanism to keep the seat belt locked in place while children are sitting in it. This can help to prevent the lap belt from moving over a child's abdomen. This can prevent the seatbelt from being pulled up over a child's face. This could cause airway obstruction and hypoxia, and neck strain.