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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 transition to convertible or all-in one car seats. These car seats are available in rear-facing and forward-facing versions but they must satisfy certain weight and age requirements. It is not recommended to place car seats in front of airbags on a vehicle seat, as the impact of the airbag could cause fatal injuries to babies and children. 1. The 1.5 Inch Rule Many parents ask whether the infant car seat can be placed in front of the driver's seat. The answer is always no. The reason is simple: When there is a crash the child's head may be hit by an airbag while in the front seat. The result is that the airbag could injure or kill the baby. This is the reason why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. In a crash, the seat's back will rest against the back of your vehicle seat. This provides the best protection for your infant. Additionally, the rear-facing car seat safeguards the head and neck of your child more than a forward-facing car seat, which provides only minimal head and neck protection. The headrest also prevents the child from falling off the shoulder straps in the event of a crash and the harness holds the chest clip high above the shoulders of your child. It's important to keep it in mind that there are ZERO reported instances of children sitting in forward-facing seats breaking their legs when they hit 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 immense pressure on the bones of the leg. This is not something you want to put your child at risk of. There are numerous programs across the country for parents who qualify to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a fantastic opportunity to ensure your child is in a safe car seat before they outgrow of it. It can be used for many years. Most newer infant car seats come with a base that they click into and out of, which makes them much easier to use than older models. This feature is particularly useful for families with small children as it allows you to keep the car seat in place and ready to go, even if you change vehicles. Before you buckle your child in check if the car seat back will touch the vehicle seat's back by measuring the center of the seat and measuring it with a tape to determine. This area can be checked using a variety of things, such as the blade of a key or length wireless earbuds. Review the instructions for your car seat as well as the owner's manual of your vehicle to determine if the angle can be adjusted to remove the space. 2. Harness Position In baby car seats, bouncers, swings strollers, and other toys for children, newborns and preemies can be in a dangerous position with their chests and chins touching. In a crash they can be injured by the chest clip or crushed by the straps on the harness that are too loose or not placed over their shoulders. To prevent this from happening, make sure that the shoulder straps start slightly below and come up to the shoulders of your child and make sure you tighten the straps. The straps must be tight enough to hold the excess fabric to each other. This is called the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other bulky outer layers can hinder the Pinch Test, so take them off them before you buckle your child into their seat. The chest clip is designed to break during a crash but it can cause a child's throat to collapse when it's too low or if the chest straps are loose. The chest clip should not be located in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level. In the event of a crash rear-facing infants can slide off the seat, and the harness straps must be able to cradle the neck and head of the child. This is why it's crucial that the straps are placed over the shoulders. If the straps fall too low, they may slip through the neck opening of the infant or over their ears. If they're too loose, they could reach the child's face. Make sure that the straps for your child's shoulders are properly fitted and positioned in the slots above or around the shoulders of your child. infant carrier seat might need an infant insert (often included with the car seat), to raise their shoulders so they can reach the slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors that can help you with this. You can also check the instructions provided in the seat. 3. Rear-Facing Only Parents may be enticed by the fact that their child's legs are becoming shorter in the seat facing rearwards, but there's no need to do this. Rear-facing is safer than forward-facing because the baby's neck and spine are supported in the event of an accident. Forward-facing children can suffer serious injuries because their bodies are thrown into the vehicle. Additionally, many infant car seats have an integrated angle indicator so you can make sure that the seat is properly installed. You should also make sure that your child's head is flat on the seat and that the straps are placed over their shoulders, not under their arms. To check if the harness is too tight it is best to pinch a small amount of material around the shoulder of your child. Check the crotch strap and ensure that it is at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. You should also read the instruction manual for your infant car seat so you are aware of how to use it properly. The majority of manufacturers recommend that children ride rear-facing in their car seats until they reach at least one year old, or until they reach the height and weight limit of their particular car seat. Some states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing until they are two years old. Install the infant car seat on the middle seat of a car with only one back seat. This allows you to view your child clearly through the rearview mirror, without having to bend. Installing the car seat on the driver's side can make it easier to get your child into and out of the seat. If you own a car with two back seats, you can install the infant car seat on either side so you don't place it directly in front of the passenger side air bag. If you have to decide between installing the infant car seat on the left or right side of the vehicle, you can put it on the driver's side. 4. Booster Seats All children who exceed the size of their infant car seat due to weight and height should be fitted with a booster seat until their vehicle seat belt is properly fitted. This is only possible when the child is at least 4'9” tall and has reached the top of the headrest. Booster seats help to position the shoulder belt and lap correctly. They also decrease the distance the child's head moves during a crash, which decreases the chance of injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death of kids ages 4-8, and head movement is the biggest culprit. If a booster is not properly used the lap belt can slide across a child's abdomen and cause serious injuries in the event of an accident. This can be avoided by using a belt guide on the booster, which stops the lap belt from sliding up onto a child's stomach, or climbing over armrests. Many boosters are designed with small handles, armrests, or guide slots that help to keep the lap belt in a low and flat position over a child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt is placed and stays on a child's strong hip bones instead of moving up into their soft stomach area during a crash. Certain booster seats feature a seatbelt locking mechanism that locks the seatbelt in place when a child is sitting in them. This will help to prevent the lapbelt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This will prevent the seatbelt from being pulled upwards over a child’s face. This can lead to airway obstruction and hypoxia as well neck strain.