Baby Car Seat Front Seat

The safest place for your child s car seat is the back seat away from active air bags.

Baby car seat front seat.

Most convertible car seats can be used in the rear facing position until a child reaches the weight limit typically 40 to 50 pounds. Children at this stage are not yet ready for adult safety belts and should use belt positioning booster seats until they are at least 4 9 and between 8 and 12 years old. Importance of safety seat use. Buckle children in car seats booster seats or seat belts on every trip no matter how short.

Nancy louie director of maternal health 562 491 9 212 529 10 th st long beach 90813 r for women delivering at hospital. These seats are installed rear facing and attach to a base that s hooked or strapped into your car. Convertible car seats are larger and have no separate base. Choosing a car seat built as compactly as your car is key.

They recommend following what is known as the 4 40 40 rule. Never place a rear facing car seat in front of an airbag. Read the forward facing car seat s owner s manual to determine height and weight limits and keep your child in a harnessed seat for as long as possible. If the car seat is placed in the front seat and the air bag inflates it could hit the back of a rear facing car seat right where your child s head is and cause a serious or fatal injury.

3 in 1 car seats can transition from rear facing infant car seats to forward facing toddler car seats toddler car seats and finally to booster seats for older children. The state of california offers guidelines for switching an infant over the age of two to a front facing car seat. Los angeles cha hollywood presbyterian medical center childbirth education classes and cable tv channel include safety seat education. So children are best carried in the rear.

The most common crash involves an impact to the front of your car which means that the back seat is usually a safer place to travel. Particularly when you re installing a car seat rear facing when the safe approved angle often requires so much space that drivers or passengers can t fit in front of it. Written handouts also provided. They are looking for a child to be at least 4 years old weight at least 40 pounds and or be at least 40 inches tall.

Airbags can kill young children riding in the front seat. Meanwhile most infant and convertible car seats are 18 to 23 inches wide. At that point the seat can be converted into a forward facing. A study published in pediatrics showed for children newborn to 3 years old sitting in the center rear seat is 43 safer than sitting on the side in the back.

Safety seat manual provided. Buckle children in the middle of the back seat when possible because it is the safest spot in the vehicle. Placing the car seat in the wrong spot.