What car seat should I use?
What direction should it face?
How long should my child be in a car seat?
1. Children are Best Protected When Rear-facing
Their risk of serious or fatal injury is reduced by 71% when they are rear-facing. Harnesses should be positioned at or below the shoulders, snug enough you can’t pinch a fold at the shoulders, and chest clip at armpit level. It is recommended for your child to ride rear-facing for as long as possible, until the highest weight or height limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Once they get too big for their infant car seat they should move to a convertible or all-in-one car seat and remain rear-facing.
Children MUST be rear-facing for at least 1 year of age and at least 20 pounds. Check your car seat manual for specific weight, height, and age guidelines! Some car seat manufacturers require rear-facing until 2 years of age. Parents often ask about the child’s legs hanging over the edge of the car seat or their feet touching the vehicle seat and is typically not a problem. More importantly, if your child’s head is within one inch from the top of their convertible car seat, your child is ready to be turned forward-facing.
2. Use a Forward-Facing Seat with Harness For as Long as Possible
Once your child has outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of their convertible car seat, they should use a forward-facing car seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height limit allowed by their car seat manufacturer. Their risk of serious or fatal injury is reduced by 54 perecent when they are forward-facing with a harness. Harnesses should be positioned at or above the shoulders, snug enough you can’t pinch a fold at the shoulders, and chest clip at armpit level.
Your child should stay in a car seat with a harness until at least 4 years old but may stay in a car seat longer. Most car seats allow you to use the harness up to 65 pounds. If the tops of your child’s ears are above the top of the car seat, they are ready to move to a booster seat.
3. Using a Booster Safely
Once your child is at least 4 years old and has reached the weight or height limit for their forward-facing car seat, your child may be ready to use a belt-positioning booster seat (BPB). When choosing a booster seat, make sure your child meets the minimum age, weight, and height limits. This is very important! When using a booster seat appropriately, their risk of serious or fatal injury is reduced by 51 percent.
Your child should use a BPB until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age. Booster seats should only be used with a lap and shoulder seat belt. The lap belt should fit snug across the upper thighs/hips, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should fit snug across the shoulder and chest. The top of the booster seat or vehicle seat or head rest should be no lower than the tops of their ears. Keep your child in a booster seat until they are big enough to fit in a seat belt properly.
4. Transitioning to a Seat Belt
- Your child should be able to sit without slouching
- The child’s back is flush against vehicle seat back
- Knees bent over the edge of the seat
- Feet touch the floor of the vehicle
- Child is able to sit this way for the entire ride
Tips for Car Seats and Booster Seats
- Children under 13 years of age are safest in the back seat.
- Your car seat should not move more than one inch from side-to-side at the belt path, once installed. Consult your vehicle owner’s manual and the car seat manual for proper installation.
- Most car seats need to be replaced after a crash. Contact your car seat manufacturer for more information.
- Fake or counterfeit car seats have been sold in the US. Look closely at your car seat for labels which indicate it was made to meet all applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards for the United States. If you’re unsure if it is an appropriate car seat, schedule an appointment with a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) to inspect your car seat. You can find a CPST near you.
- Car seats expire! The expiration date can be found somewhere on the car seat – on a label or embossed into the shell. Check with the car seat manufacturer for more information.
- Winter coats and snow suits should not be worn in a car seat. Harness your child into their car seat and place the child’s coat or blanket over the child and the harness.
- NEVER place a rear-facing car seat in front of an active air bag!
- NEVER leave children unattended in your vehicle. LOOK BEFORE YOU LOCK!
The Children’s Mercy Hospital Center for Childhood Safety recognizes that all children need a safe environment to grow and prosper. We strive to give children that safe environment and reduce the impact of injuries on the lives of children and their families. We do this with our Car Seat Program, Safe Sleep, Home Safety, and Bicycle and Pedestrian programs.
