Resources for New Moms

Car Seat Safety

Q:

My baby is really tall, her car seat is rear facing, but her legs are really curled up. Is that dangerous?

No

Correct!

Your baby can bend his legs easily and will be comfortable in a rear-facing seat. Injuries to the legs are rare for children facing the rear.

Yes

Incorrect!

Your baby can bend his legs easily and will be comfortable in a rear-facing seat. Injuries to the legs are rare for children facing the rear.

Car seat safety 

Car seats and boosters provide protection for infants and children in a crash, yet car crashes are a leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 13. That’s why it’s so important to choose and use the right car seat correctly every time your child is in the car.  

Follow these important steps to choose the right seat, install it correctly, and keep your child safe. 

Birth  12 months 

Babies under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. This is the best seat for your baby to use. It has a harness and, in a crash, cradles and moves with your child to reduce the stress to the child’s fragile neck and spinal cord.  

There are different types of rear-facing car seats: 

  • Infant-only seats can only be used rear-facing. 
  • Convertible and all-in-one car seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period.

     

  3 years 

Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. It’s the best way to keep him or her safe. Your child should remain in a rear-facing car seat until he or she reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by your car seat’s manufacturer. Once your child outgrows the rear-facing car seat, your child is ready to travel in a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether. 

Types 

  • Infant car seat (rear-facing only): Designed for newborns and small babies, the infant-only car seat is a small, portable seat that can only be used rear-facing. These are convenient because you can remove them from the car to transport baby indoors and then “click” the seat into a base that remains in your car for safe driving. Most babies outgrow their infant seats before their first birthday. When that happens, we recommend that parents purchase a convertible or all-in-one car seat and use it rear-facing. 
  • Convertible seat: As a child grows, this seat can change from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat with a harness and tether. Because it can be used with children of various sizes, it allows for children to stay in the rear-facing position longer. 
  • All-in-one seat: This seat can change from a rear-facing seat to a forward-facing seat (with a harness and tether) and to a booster seat as a child grows. Because it can be used with children of various sizes, it allows for children to stay in the rear-facing position longer. 


Car seat installation tips
 

  • Read the car seat’s instruction manual and the portion of your vehicle’s owner manual on car seat installation. Every car seat needs to be installed using either the lower anchors or the seat belt to secure it in place. If you choose to use a seat belt to install your car seat, pay close attention to how to lock your seat belt in the vehicle owner’s manual. Because every car seat and vehicle is different, it’s important to follow all instructions carefully. 
  • Place the car seat in the back seat of your vehicle and follow the manufacturer’s installation directions. The car seat must be secured tightly in the vehicle. It should not move side-to-side or front-to-back more than one inch when pulled at the belt path. 
  • If it is a forward-facing seat and has a tether strap, connect it to the tether anchor and tighten. This step is very important as it limits forward head movement in a crash. 
  • If it is a rear-facing seat, make sure the car seat is installed at the correct recline angle. Most car seats have built-in angle indicators or adjustors that help with this step. If you have questions, trained Child Passenger Safety Technicians can help you. Many local fire and police stations offer free car seat inspections. Find a car seat inspection location here. 


Fitting your child correctly i
n the seat 

  1. Properly position the harness on your child. Rear-facing: Harness straps should lie flat, not twisted, and be placed through the slot that is at or below your child’s shoulders. Forward-facing: Harness straps should lie flat, not twisted, and be placed through the slot that is at or above your child’s shoulders. 
  2. Buckle the harness and the chest clip and tighten. 
  3. The harness is snug enough when extra material cannot be pinched at the shoulder. Make sure the chest clip is at armpit level. 

 
Register your car seat 

Congratulations—you chose the right car seat and installed it correctly. Now it’s time to register your car seat and sign up for recall notices to receive safety updates with the manufacturer so your child can remain safe. Also, you can sign up with NHTSA to receive e-mail alerts about car seat and booster seat recalls.