Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

As children get older, they can move out of their car seats as infants, they can be moved into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seats are available in forward-facing and rear-facing versions, but they must meet certain weight and age requirements.

It is not recommended to put car seats in front of airbags on the car seats by age seat, because the force of the airbag can cause fatal injuries to infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason for this is quite simple: If a crash happens and the child is involved, they could get their head struck 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 designed to be rear-facing. In a crash, the seat's back will rest against the rear of your car seat. This will provide the most security for the infant.

A rear-facing car seat protects your child's head and neck better than a front-facing seat that only offers little protection. The headrest keeps your child from sliding off the shoulder straps during a crash. The harness keeps the chest clip above the shoulders.

It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO known instances of children riding forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they hit the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when children's feet fly upwards and get caught against the seat's back which causes a lot of pressure into the leg bones. There is no reason to put your child at risk for this.

There are numerous programs in the United States that provide infant car seats at a discounted price or at no cost to parents who qualify. This is a great way to ensure your child is placed in an appropriate car seat before they grow out of it and use it safely for many years.

Most new infant car seats have a base that they click into and out of, making them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is particularly useful when traveling with children, as it allows you to keep the seat in place and ready for use even when you change vehicles.

Before you take your child's seat make sure that the back of the car seat will touch the vehicle seat's back by measuring the center of the seat and measuring it using a tape measure. This space is a test that can be done with a variety of objects, including the blade of a key, or the length of earbuds wireless. Then, check the car seat's instructions and owners' manuals for the vehicle to determine whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to remove the space.

2. Harness Position

Newborns and preemies often fall into a dangerous chin-to-chest position in infant car seats, bouncy seats, swings, strollers and other children's equipment. In the event of a crash they could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. To prevent this from happening, make sure that the straps on your shoulder start a bit lower and move up over the child's shoulders and make sure you tighten the straps. The straps should be secure enough that you can pinch any fabric that isn't tight enough - this is called the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other bulky outer layers could interfere with the Pinch Test, so take them off them prior to putting your child in their seat.

The chest clip was designed for a crash, however it can compress the child's neck if it is too low or if they are too loose. The chest clip shouldn't be placed in the neck opening. Instead, it should be at the armpit level.

In a crash, infants who are facing rearwards will slide up the seat. The harness straps must be sufficient to support the child's neck and head. It is important to place the straps over the shoulders. If the straps are too high they may slide over the baby's ears, or go through the opening in their neck, and if they are too loose, they can slide towards the baby's nose.

Make sure that 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 in the car seat) to raise them up so their shoulders reach this slot. Some infant car seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors that help with this and you should always refer to the instructions included with your seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

Some parents may be tempted by the fact that their child's legs are becoming shorter in the rear-facing seat, but there's no need to do this. Rear-facing is more secure than forward-facing because the baby's spine and neck are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children's bodies are thrown backwards against the vehicle and could cause serious injuries.

A lot of infant car seats include an angle indicator to help you ensure the seat is installed correctly. It is also important to ensure that your child's head is on the seat flat, and that the straps are placed over their shoulders, not under their arms. To determine whether the harness is too tight, you should be able hold a small amount material on your child's shoulder. Check the crotch strap and ensure that it is at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also an excellent idea to go through your best infant car seat car seat manual to ensure you understand the correct method to use it with your child.

Most manufacturers advise 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 limit of their particular car seat. Certain states have laws that require infants to remain rear-facing until two years old.

Install the infant car seats newborn seat in front seat [made a post] 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. It's also helpful to place the car seat on the driver's side, so you don't have to walk the way around your car each time you want to take your child into or out of their car seat.

If your vehicle has two rear seats the infant car seat can be installed on either side, as long as it's not in front of the airbag on the passenger side. However, if you have to decide whether to install the infant car seat for newborn 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 seat due to weight and height will need a booster until the seat belt is properly fitted. This can only happen if they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top of their headrest (check the guidelines of the manufacturer of your seat for exact measurements).

Booster seats assist in positioning the shoulder belt and lap correctly. Booster seats can also reduce the distance that a neck of a child moves during collisions, reducing the risk of injury. Head movement is the main reason behind motor vehicle crashes which are the most frequent killers of children ages 4-8.

If a booster isn't properly used, the lap portion can slide across a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in the event of an accident. This can be prevented by using a booster with lap belt guides that stop the lap belt from slipping over arm rests or sliding onto a child's stomach.

Many boosters have small handles, armrests or guide slots to help place the lap belt low and flat on a child's top legs. This will ensure that the lapbelt starts and remains on the strong hipbones of the child instead of slipping up into their soft abdomen area in the event of a crash.

Certain booster seats feature the seatbelt locking mechanism which keeps the seatbelt in place when a child sits in them. This will help to keep the lap belt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This will keep the seat belt from being pulled upwards over a child’s face. This can lead to airway obstruction and hypoxia and neck strain.