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 can be used rear-facing or forward-facing but they need to meet certain weight and age specifications.

Car seats should never be placed on top of a car seat equipped with airbags, as the force of the airbag can be fatal for infants and children.

1. The 1.5 Inch Rule

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

Infant car seats are designed to be rearward-facing. The back of the seat rests against the back of the seat in a collision, ensuring the best car seats infant protection for your infant.

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

It's important to keep it in mind that there have been ZERO documented instances of children in forward-facing seats breaking their leg when they strike the rear of the vehicle seat. This happens when a kid's feet rise and are sucked into the back of the seat which causes a lot of pressure on the bones of the legs. There's no reason to put your child at risk of this.

There are also several programs throughout the country that allow parents who meet the criteria to receive discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in a secure car seat before they outgrow it and use it safely for many years.

Most modern infant newborn car seat seats have a base that they can click into and out of, making them much more user-friendly than older models. This feature is particularly useful for traveling with young kids because 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 car seat back will be in contact with the vehicle seat's back by locating the center of the seat and measuring it using a tape to determine. Many items, such as the blade of a house key or the length of earbuds that are wireless are around 1.5 inches long and can be used to check for this space. After that, you should check the instructions for your car seat for newborn seat and vehicle owner's manual to see whether you can alter the angle of the car seat to eliminate this space.

2. Harness Position

Preemies and infants often get into a potentially dangerous chest-to-chin position in infant car seats, bouncy seats, swings, strollers and other toys for children. In the event of a crash, they could be injured by the chest clip or crushed by harness straps that are loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. To avoid this, ensure 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 snug enough to allow you to pinch any excess fabric together - this is called the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers can hinder the Pinch Test, so remove them before you buckle your child in their seat.

The chest clip is designed to break in an accident, but it could compress on a child's throat when it's too low or if the chest straps are too loose. The chest clip should not be placed in the neck opening. Instead, it should be at the armpit level.

In the event of a crash, children who are rear-facing will likely slide up the seat. The harness straps should be able to support the child's neck and head. This is why it's very crucial that the straps are placed over the shoulders. If the straps fall too low, they may slide through the neck opening of the infant or over their ears. If they're too loose, they can reach the child's face.

Ensure the shoulder straps are in the slots at or above the shoulders of your child and they fit snugly. Infants may require an infant car seat in front seat insert (often included with the car seat) to lift them up so their shoulders reach this slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors to assist you in this. You can also refer to the instructions that come with the seat.

3. Rear-Facing Only

While some parents might be tempted to flip their infant car seat to face forward, due to their child's legs getting too short in the rear-facing position, there's really no reason to do so. 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, a lot of infant car seats have an integrated angle indicator so you can ensure that the seat is installed correctly. Also, you should ensure that your child's head rests on the seat flat, and that the straps are over their shoulders, not under their arms. You should be able to squeeze a small amount of material at their shoulders to ensure whether the harness is secure enough. Check the crotch strap to make sure it's at the same level as the armpits and not at the waist. It is also recommended to read your infant car seat manual to be aware of the proper method to use it with your child.

Most manufacturers advise that children sit rear-facing in their car seats until they are at least one year old or until they have reached the weight and height limit of their particular car seat. Some states have laws requiring infants to be rear-facing for at least two years.

Install the infant car seat rear facing 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. It is also beneficial to put the car seat on the driver's side so you don't have to walk the way around your vehicle every time you need 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 long as it's not front of the airbag on the passenger side. If you must choose between installing an infant car seat on the left or right side of your vehicle, you can install 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 should use a booster seat until their vehicle seat belt is properly fitted. This is only possible when they are at a minimum of 4 feet 9 inches tall and have reached the top rated baby car seats of their headrest (check the recommendations of the manufacturer of the seat for exact measurements).

Booster seats can assist in positioning the shoulder and lap belts properly. They also limit the distance that a neck of a child moves during collisions, which reduces the chance of injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the number one killer of children between the ages of 4-8, and head movement is the most significant cause.

If a booster is used incorrectly the lap part of the belt can travel up to the abdomen of a child and cause serious injuries in an accident. This can be avoided by using a booster with lap belt guides that prevent the lap belt from slipping over arm rests or sliding on a child's stomach.

Many boosters are equipped with armrests, handles or guide slots that allow you to keep the lap belt in a low and flat position across a child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt begins and remains on a child's strong hip bones instead of slipping into their stomachs in the event of a crash.

Some booster seats have a seatbelt locking mechanism that locks the seatbelt in place when a child is sitting in them. This can keep the lap belt from moving up and over the child's abdomen. This can also help prevent the belt from being pulled over the face of a child. This could result in airway obstruction and hypoxia, as also neck strain.