Car installation seat

Below are specifics for the harness system in both rear- and front-facing seats. Even if you follow all the directions perfectly, and you've checked off all of our safety tips, it's wise to have your work inspected. There are child safety seat inspection locations across the country where an expert will make sure your child will be safe when buckled in.

Here are a few additional tips all drivers should keep in mind when it comes to child seat safety. Rear-facing infant car seats : Are usually for children under 1 year old, but if your child can still fit in a rear-facing car seat until they are 1 to 3 years old the NHTSA recommends that you do so.

Feature a harness strap system and a cradle design to protect a child's neck and spine in a crash. Front-facing car seats: Are typically for children 4 to 7 years old, OR children under 4 years old who have outgrown their seat's height and weight maximum. Feature a tether strap system that is much safer than a standard seatbelt for young children.

Booster seats: Are designed for children 8 to 12 years old , OR children under 8 years old who have outgrown their seat's height and weight maximum.

Are built to add extra height so the car's seat belt fits your child properly. Car Seat Installation Tips Don't be intimidated by the seat once you take it out of the box. When installing a car seat, make sure to: Read the instructions. Don't try guessing—read the directions thoroughly and make sure you clearly understand how to securely install the car seat.

Position car seats in the back seat. This is the safest location in the car for a child to ride. Reference your vehicle's manual. Some cars have lower anchors built into the seats that can be used to attach a car seat.

The best seat for your young child 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. Should lie across the upper thighs and be snug across the shoulder and chest to restrain your child safely in a crash. It should not rest on the stomach area or across the neck or face. There are many car seat choices on the market.

Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. There are different types of rear-facing car seats:. Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. 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.

Keep your child in a booster seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach.

The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face. Find car seats for your child by brand, or look up the details of a specific car seat model. Ease-of-Use Ratings Explained The Car Seat Finder is an easy-to-use tool that lets you compare seats and ease-of-use ratings to find the right car seat for your child. Every car seat needs to be installed using either the lower anchors or a seat belt to secure it in place, never both.

With a forward-facing car seat, use a tether if one is available. Before installing your car seat make sure you understand the function and location of the vehicle and car seat parts that are used in installation.

The lower anchors are found in a minimum of two rear seating positions in a vehicle. Typically there are a minimum of three tether anchors in a vehicle. In some larger vehicles such as vans, pickup trucks, and SUVs, these tether anchors may be found on the back of a vehicle seat, on the floor, the ceiling, or other location.

Lower Anchor Attachments Used to install the car seat in a vehicle with lower anchors. Used to secure a forward-facing car seat and limit forward head movement in a crash. The tether is located on the top rear of convertible, combination, and all-in-one car seats.

Most rear-facing car seats in the United States do not use a tether for installation. Make sure that the car seat or booster seat for each child riding in the car is in the best possible place. Also, make sure other passengers in the car can ride safely.

Choose the one that gives the car seat a snug fit. The next tip shows you how to get that snug fit. Does the car seat have a snug fit?

Do the Inch Test to find out. This rule applies for forward-facing car seats and rear-facing car seats and when the seat is secured with either the seat belt or LATCH.