Child Car Seat Safety

Back To Child Safety

Using a car seat correctly is essential for protecting your child during travel. If a child car seat or booster is not used correctly or installed properly in the vehicle, it may fail to protect your child in a crash.

Child Car Seat Safety Guidelines

Because cars are designed for adults, children do not fit properly in vehicle seat belts until they reach 4 feet 9 inches tall. Children should use a car seat that is appropriate for their age, weight and height. They should continue using the car seat until they are old enough to switch to using just a seat belt and until they reach the proper seating position.

Car Seat Installation and Use Guide

Did you know that four out of five car seats are used incorrectly? Before using and installing your car seat, carefully and fully read the car seat instructions.

Also check the vehicle manual for information on using seat belts, installing car seats, the LATCH system and air bag safety as recommended by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Always buckle children (ages birth to 12 years) in the back seat. Teenagers and adults can sit in the front seat. Air bags can cause severe injuries or death to children, even in newer vehicles with airbags that activate and deactivate.
Never place a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat if there is a passenger air bag present.
Car seats have expiration dates, so check and do not use a seat beyond this date.
A properly installed car seat should not move more than one inch side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path.
Car seats can be installed using the seatbelt. While the Lower Anchors and Tether for Children (LATCH) system can be used for rear-facing seats up to a certain weight limit, it may not be recommended for all car seats. Check your vehicle owner’s manual or contact the automobile manufacturer to determine weight limits for LATCH installation, including the combined weight of the car seat and child. For forward-facing seats, use the seatbelt and top tether.

After a crash, a car seat may be unsafe to use again if:

It was involved in an accident where someone was injured.
The door near the seat was damaged.
Air bags deployed.
The vehicle was towed from the crash scene.
Visible damage is present on the car seat.

Contact the car seat manufacturer for guidance.

Types of car seats

The safest seat is one that fits your child, fits in your car and is used correctly each time. There are four main types of car seats:

Rear-facing car seats: These are essential for infants and young children, providing necessary support for their developing neck and spine. Keeping children rear-facing until they reach the seat's weight or height limit, typically around 40-50 pounds, is safest. A rear-facing seat absorbs crash forces, so do not switch to forward-facing before reaching these limits. Most children should ride in a rear-facing car seat until around age three, with some continuing longer.

Convertible seats: Designed to accommodate both rear-facing and forward-facing positions, convertible seats offer flexibility as your child grows. They use a 5-point harness system to distribute crash forces effectively.

Booster seats: Boosters elevate children to ensure the adult seat belt fits correctly, positioning it across the strongest parts of their bodies—hips and chest. Children should use boosters until they reach 4 feet 9 inches tall or pass the Five-Step Test below for proper seat belt fit. This ensures the seat belt fits properly and provides effective protection if there is a crash.

All-in-one (3-in-1 or 4-in-1): These versatile seats can function as rear-facing, forward-facing and booster seats, adapting as your child grows. Remember to check the expiration date and follow manufacturer guidelines for each mode, especially for the rear-facing seat with a harness.

Tips for infants

If using a rear-facing only seat, consider purchasing a convertible, 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 seat to keep your child rear-facing for as long as possible.
Harness straps should be positioned at or below the infant's shoulders and should be snug—unable to be pinched at the shoulders.
The harness chest clip should be at the child’s armpit level to keep the harness straps over the child's shoulders during a crash.
Follow recline angle instructions for rear-facing seats: approximately 45 degrees for newborns and 35-45 degrees for older babies with stronger neck muscles.

Tips for toddlers

Children should continue to ride rear facing until they reach the weight or height limit of the seat, ideally until they are two to three years old.
When transitioning to forward-facing, ensure harness straps are threaded at or above the child's shoulders. Check the seat’s instructions for proper placement.
Harness straps should be snug, preventing the ability to pinch the straps at the shoulders.
The harness chest clip should remain at the child’s armpit level for crash safety.
Keep forward-facing seats in an upright position and use a top tether strap with the seatbelt installation to prevent the child’s head from moving forward. Consult your vehicle’s owner manual and the car seat’s instructions for guidance.

Tips for booster seats

Children should remain in a full harness until they exceed the harness weight limit, often around 65 pounds. Ensure your child sits upright and does not lean toward the window because of potential air bag risks.
Use a belt-positioning booster seat in the back seat once the child outgrows their car seat. Boosters use the adult lap and shoulder belt and should be used until the seat belt fits the child properly or until they reach at least 4 feet 9 inches tall (use the five-step test below for guidance).
Belt-positioning booster seats require both lap and shoulder belts across the child. The shoulder belt should fit snugly against the child’s chest, crossing at the collarbone, while the lap belt should rest low across the upper thighs.
Booster seats bridge the gap between car seats and adult seat belts.

The five-step test

Ask the following questions. If any answer is “no,” your child requires a booster seat

Is the child sitting tall with their entire back touching the seat?
Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the seat?
Is the shoulder belt positioned across the shoulder and chest, not the arm or neck?
Does the lap belt rest on the tops of the child’s thighs?
Can the child maintain this position for the entire trip?

Seat belts

If all answers to the five-step test above are “yes,” the child may use both lap and shoulder belts.
Ensure the shoulder belt fits snugly across the chest, crossing at the collarbone, and the lap belt lays low across the upper thighs. Do not allow the child to place the shoulder belt behind their back or under their arm.
Children under 13 years old should not ride in the front seat because of the risk of air bag-related injuries.

Patient Account

Access your health information anytime, anywhere. Your Patient Account allows you manage your care from any device so you can: view lab results, request medical records, book appointments, message a doctor’s office and access important documents.

Child Car Seat Safety