Can an Infant Car Seat Be Placed in Front Seat?

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

It is not advised to place car seats behind airbags on the car seat, because the force of the airbag could cause fatal injuries to infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

The answer to this question is no. The reason is simple In the event of a crash, the child could have their head hit by an airbag if they are in the front seat. The airbag could injure or even kill a child.

Infant car seats are only designed to be rearward-facing. In the event of a crash the back of the seat will rest against the rear of your car seat. This will provide the most protection for your infant.

A rear-facing car seat safeguards your child's head and neck better than a front-facing car seat, 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 high above the shoulders.

It's important to keep in mind that there have been ZERO documented instances of children riding forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they strike the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when a child's feet fly upwards and get caught against the back of the seat, which puts enormous stress on the bones of the legs. There is no reason to expose your child to the risk of this.

There are numerous programs throughout the country that allow qualifying parents to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great way to ensure your child is placed in a secure car seat before they get out of it and use it in a safe manner for a long time.

The majority of new infant car seats come with a base that they can click into and out of, which makes them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is especially beneficial for families with small children because you can keep the car seat on and ready to go, even when switching vehicles.

Before you put your child in the car seat make sure that the car seat back will touch the vehicle seat's back by locating the middle of the seat and measuring it with a tape to determine. This area can be checked using a variety of items, including the blade of a key or the length of the wireless earbuds. Review the instructions for your car seat as well as the owner's manual of your vehicle to see if the angle can be adjusted to eliminate the space.

2. Harness Position

Preemies and newborns frequently are prone to fall into a risky chin-to-chest posture in infant car seat in front seat car seats, bouncy seats strollers, swings and other equipment for children. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by straps on the harness that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. Make sure that the straps are set slightly below the shoulders of the child, and then come up over their shoulders. Make sure they are tight to prevent this. The straps should be secure enough that you can pinch any fabric that isn't tight enough which 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 during a crash, but it may be compressed on the throat of a child in the event that it's too high or if the chest straps are loose. The chest clip should not be located in the neck opening. Instead, it should be at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash who are facing rearwards will slide down the seat. The harness straps must be capable of supporting the head and neck of the child. This is why it's very important that the straps be placed over the shoulders. If the straps aren't high enough, they may slide over the lightweight baby car seat's ears or slide through their neck opening, and if they're too loose, they could move toward the child's nose.

Make sure the shoulder straps are in the slots that are above or below your child's shoulders and that they fit comfortably. Infants may require an infant insert (often included with the car seats by age seat) to raise their shoulders until they reach this slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors to aid you in this. You may also want to check the instructions provided in the seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

Some parents might be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are getting shorter in the rear-facing seat but there is no need to do this. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing as the infant's neck and spine are protected in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children may suffer serious injuries as their bodies are thrown into the vehicle.

In addition, many infant car seats come with a built-in angle indicator so you can make sure that the seat is correctly installed. You also need 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 little bit of material on their shoulder to confirm that the harness is tight enough. It is also important to check the crotch buckle strap to be sure it is level with the armpits and not at the waist. It is also a good idea to review the manual for your infant car seat to be aware of the proper method of using it for your child.

The majority of manufacturers recommend that children use rear-facing seats in their car seats until they are at least one year old or until they have reached the weight and height limits of their car seat. Some states have laws that require babies to remain rear-facing until they reach the age of 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 clearly through the rearview mirror, without having to bend. Installing the car seat on your driver's side also makes it easier to get your child into and out of the seat.

If your vehicle has two rear seats, the infant car seat can be placed on either side, as that it is not in the airbag's front on the passenger-side. If you must decide between installing an infant car seats by age seat on either the left or the right side of your vehicle, put it on the driver’s side.

4. Booster Seats

Children who outgrow their infant car seat due to weight and height must use a booster seat until the seat belt is fitted properly. This is only possible when 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 help to position the shoulder belt and lap correctly. They also decrease the distance the child's head moves during an accident, which reduces the chance of injuries. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of children between the ages of 4-8, and head motion is the most significant cause.

If a booster isn't used correctly, 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 to stop the lap belt from sliding onto the stomach of a child or getting over armrests.

Many boosters come with small handles, armrests or guide slots to position the lapbelt low and flat on a child's top legs. This will ensure that the lapbelt begins and remains on the hipbones of a child's strength instead of moving upwards into their abdominal area during the event of a crash.

Some booster seats have a seatbelt locking mechanism that secures the seatbelt when a child is seated in them. This will help to keep the lap belt 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 lead to hypoxia and airway obstruction, as and neck strain.