What Can A Weekly Infant Car Seat In Front Seat Project Can Change Your Life
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 into convertible or all-in-one seats. These car seats are available in both rear-facing and forward-facing versions however, they must meet certain weight and age requirements.
Car seats should not be placed in front of a vehicle seat that has airbags because the force of the airbag could be fatal for infants and children.
1. The 1.5 Inch Rule
Many parents ask whether an infant car seat may be placed on top of the driver's seat. The answer is always 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 can cause injury or even kill a baby.
This is the reason why infant car seats are made to be rear-facing only. The back of the seat rests against the back of the seat in a crash, providing the best protection for your baby.
A rear-facing car seat protects your child's head and neck better than a front-facing car seat that offers only minimal protection. The headrest prevents the child from sliding off the shoulder straps during a crash and the harness holds the chest clip above the shoulders of your child.
It's important to remember that there are ZERO instances of children in car seats that face forwards breaking their legs when they hit the rear of the front seat. This happens when children's feet rise and become stuck against the rear of the seat, putting enormous pressure on the bones of the leg. This is not something you should put your child in danger of.
There are numerous programs across the country for qualifying parents to get discounted or free infant car seats. This is a great opportunity to ensure your child is in an appropriate car seat before they grow out of it and use it in a safe manner for a long time.
Most new infant car seats have an adjustable base that they can click into and out of, which makes them much easier to use than older models. This feature is particularly beneficial when traveling with children because you can keep the seat in place and ready for use even when changing vehicles.
Before you put your child in the car seat, find out if the back of the car seat 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 tested with many things, such as the blade of a key, or the length of earbuds wireless. Then, check the instructions for your car seat and owners' manuals for the vehicle to determine if you can adjust the angle of the car seat to eliminate this space.
2. Harness Position
In the infant car seats, bouncers, swings strollers, and other equipment for children, infants and preemies could 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 loose or have not been placed over their shoulders. To prevent this from happening, make sure that the shoulder straps start slightly below and come up over the child's shoulders and make sure you tighten the straps. The straps should be tight enough to hold the excess fabric to each other. This is known as the Pinch Test. Winter coats and other heavy outer layers can hinder the Pinch Test, so take them off them before you buckle your child into their seat.
The chest clip is made for a crash, but it can cause compression to the neck of a child if it's too low or if they are not tight enough. The chest clip should not be placed in the neck opening. Instead it should be placed at the armpit level.
During a crash, rear-facing infants are likely to slide off the seat, and the harness straps need to be able to cradle the neck and head of the child. It is crucial to place the straps over the shoulders. If the straps are too low, they may slip through the opening on the neck of the infant or over their ears. If they are too loose, they may reach the child's face.
Ensure lightweight baby car seat are in the slots that are above or below your child's shoulders and that they fit comfortably. Newborns may need a separate infant insert (often included in the car seat) to raise them to ensure their shoulders are in this slot. Some infant car seats include angle indicators or adjustors to assist you in this. You can also check the instructions provided in the seat.
3. Rear-Facing Only
While some parents may be tempted to flip their infant car seat to face forward because of their child's legs becoming too short in the rear-facing position really no reason why you should. The rear-facing seat is safer than a forward-facing one because in the event of a collision, the baby's body will press against the seat, and their neck and spine will be supported. Forward-facing children are more susceptible to serious injuries because their bodies are thrown against the vehicle.
A lot of infant car seats have an angle indicator to ensure that the seat is properly installed. You should also make sure that your child's head is on the seat flat, and that the straps are over their shoulders, not under their arms. You can pinch a small amount of material at their shoulder to determine that the harness is tight enough. It is also important to check the strap that holds the crotch to be sure it is level with the armpits and not at the waist. You should also review the manual of your infant car seat so that you know how to properly use it.
Most manufacturers suggest that children ride rear-facing until they're at least one year old or until they reach their car seat's weight and height limits. Certain states have laws that require infants to be rear-facing for at minimum two years.
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 over. 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 car each time you want to get your child in or out of their car seat.
If your vehicle has two back seats the infant car seat can be placed on either side so long as it's not front of the airbag on the passenger-side. If you must decide between installing an infant car seat on either the left or the right side of your vehicle, install it on the driver’s side.
4. Booster Seats
All children who outgrow their car seat for infants by weight or height must be fitted with a booster seat until the vehicle seat belt is fitted properly. This is only possible when the child is at least 4'9" tall and has reached the top of the headrest.
Booster seats are a great way to position the shoulder and lap belts correctly. Booster seats can also reduce the amount that a neck moves in collisions, reducing the risk of injury. Motor vehicle accidents are the most fatal killer of children aged 4-8, and head movement is the biggest culprit.
If the booster is not used correctly the lap part of the belt can travel up over a child's abdomen and cause severe injuries in an accident. This can be avoided with a belt guide on the booster that prevents the lap belt from sliding up onto a child's stomach, or getting over armrests.
Many boosters are equipped with small handles, armrests, or guide slots that help to keep the lap belt in a low and flat position across the child's upper thighs. This ensures that the lap belt is placed and remains on a child's strong hip bones instead of being pushed up into their soft stomach area during an accident.
Certain booster seats feature an automatic seatbelt lock mechanism that secures the seatbelt when a child sits in them. This will help to prevent the lapbelt from moving upwards and over the child's abdomen. This will prevent the seatbelt from being pulled up over a child's face. This can lead to airway obstruction and hypoxia, and neck strain.