Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?
When children are outgrowing their infant car seats, they can switch to convertible or all-in-one car seats. These car seats are available in forward-facing and rear-facing versions but they must satisfy certain weight and age requirements.
It is not advised to place car seats in front of airbags on the vehicle seat, since the force 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 quite simple: If an accident occurs the child’s head may be hit by an airbag while in the front seat. The airbag can 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 seat for newborn protection for your baby.
In addition, the rear-facing car seat protects the neck and head of your child more than a forward-facing one that offers only minimal neck and head protection. The headrest prevents the child from falling off the shoulder straps during an accident and the harness holds the chest clip above your child’s shoulders.
It is important to keep in mind that there are ZERO documented instances of children sitting in forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they strike the rear of the seat. This happens when a child’s feet rise and are sucked into the back of the seat and put a great deal of stress on the bones of the leg. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk of this.
There are numerous programs throughout the country that allow parents who meet the criteria to get discounted or free infant car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure that your child is in a safe car seat before they grow out of it. It can be used for a number of years.
The base of most modern infant car seats is designed to be removed and put back in, making them much easier to use. This feature is especially helpful when traveling with children, as you can keep the car seat installed and ready for use even when you switch 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 locating the middle of the seat and measuring it with a tape measure. This space can be checked using a variety of things, such as the blade of a key, or the length of the wireless earbuds. Then, check the car seat’s instructions and the owner’s manual of your vehicle to determine if you can adjust the angle of the car seat to remove this space.
2. Harness Position
In the infant car seats as well as swings, bouncers, strollers, and other equipment for children, infants and preemies could fall into a dangerous position with their chests and chins touching. In a crash the children could be injured or crushed by the chest clip. Make sure that the straps are positioned just a little below the shoulders of the child, and then, when they are up, they should be over their shoulders. Make sure they are tight to prevent this. The straps must be tight enough to hold the excess fabric together. This is known as the Pinch Test. Bulky outer layers like winter coats may hinder this, so be sure to remove them before placing your child in their seat.
The chest clip is designed to break during a crash, but it may cause a child’s throat to collapse if it’s too low or if the chest straps are loose. It’s also important that the chest clip is not in the neck opening of the collar. the buckle should be at armpit height.
In a crash, infants who are rear-facing will likely slide down the seat. The harness straps must be able to support the head and neck of the child. It is crucial to place the straps over the shoulders. If the straps aren’t high enough, they could slide over the baby’s ears or go through the opening in their neck, and if they’re too loose, they could move towards the baby’s nose.
Make sure that the straps for your child’s shoulders are snugly fitted and in the slots above or around the shoulders of your child. Infants may require an infant car seat in front seat insert (often included with the car seat) to raise their shoulders until they reach this slot. Some infant car seats newborn seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors that aid in this process and you can always check the instructions that came with your seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
While some parents may be tempted to turn their infant car seat newborn car seat around to face forward, due to their child’s legs getting too short in the rear-facing position really no reason to do it. The rear-facing position is much safer than the forward-facing position because in the event of a collision, the baby’s body will press against the seat and their neck and spine will be supported. Forward-facing children are more susceptible to serious injuries due to the fact that their bodies are thrown into the vehicle.
A majority of infant car seats that swivel car seats include an angle indicator built in to ensure that the seat is installed correctly. It is also important to ensure that your child’s head is flat against the seat, and that the harness straps are positioned over their shoulders, not under their arms or bent. To determine if the harness is too tight, you should be able squeeze a small amount of material around your child’s shoulder. It is also essential to check the strap that holds the crotch to be sure it is in line with the armpits, not at the waist. It is also recommended to read the manual for your infant car seat to ensure you understand the correct 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 1 year old, or until they reach the height and weight limits of their specific car seat. Certain states have laws that require babies to remain rear-facing until they are two years old.
If you own a vehicle that has only one rear seat, place the infant car seat in the middle so that you can easily see your child through your rearview mirror without having to lean over. Installing the car seat on the driver’s side can make it easier to get your child into and out of the seat.
If your vehicle has two rear seats, the infant best car seat seat can be set on either side so that it is not in front of the airbag on the passenger’s side. If you have to choose between installing an infant car seat on the left or the right side of your vehicle, install it on the driver’s side.
4. Booster Seats
Children who have outgrown their infant car seats due to their weight and height will need an additional booster until the car’s seat belt is properly fitted. This is only possible when they are at least 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 help to position the lap and shoulder belt properly. They also limit how far the neck moves in collisions, which reduces the risk of injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the biggest culprit.
If a booster is used improperly, the lap portion of the belt could slide up over a child’s abdomen and cause severe injuries in an accident. This can be avoided by using a belt guide on the booster to stop the lap belt from sliding onto a child’s stomach or getting over armrests.
A lot of boosters have handles that are small or armrests, or guide slots to help position the lapbelt low and flat on the 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 a seatbelt locking mechanism that locks the seatbelt in place when a child is seated in them. This can prevent the lapbelt from moving up and over the child’s abdomen. This can also help to stop the seat belt from being pulled across the face of a child, which could cause airway obstruction and hypoxia, as well as neck strain.