What About Booster Seats
Once a child has outgrown a forward-facing child restraint, they should use a booster seat with a lap-sash seat belt, until tall and old enough to fit properly into an adult seat belt.
Dr Rhodes says the gold standard is something called the five-step test to help you determine when it’s the right time:
- Can the child sit with back and bottom against the vehicle seat back?
- Do the child’s knees bend comfortably before the edge of the vehicle seat?
- Is the lap belt sitting low across the hip bones touching the thighs?
- Does the sash belt sit across the middle of the shoulder, not on the neck or out near the arm?
- Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
She said early transition out of a booster seat was the biggest area of concern, according to her team’s research.
“If your child is over seven, it doesn’t mean they’re ready to travel safely without a booster seat,” she said.
“It’s much more likely they will need that seat for another three or four years before their body is big enough for them to sit safely in a car without a booster seat.
“If a child is too small when they’re taken out of their child seat booster that seatbelt will sit across the child’s neck, and across their tummy.
“And when a crash happens, they get very serious forces through those areas and that can lead to more harm than protection.”
When Can I Put My Baby’s Car Seatforward Facing
A child safety seat is a device that attaches to the back of an automobile and provides protection for children in case of a collision. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants should be placed rear-facing until they are at least 1 year old or weigh 20 pounds, whichever comes first. This allows them to grow into their seats without being forced into an adult-sized seat belt. Rear-facing seats also protect against airbag deployment if your vehicle has one installed. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should be placed in a forward-facing seat until they are at least 2 years old or weigh 40 pounds, whichever comes first. This allows them to grow into their seats without being forced into an adult-sized seat belt. Forward facing car seats can also protect against airbag deployment if your vehicle has one installed and the child is properly restrained by age 4 . The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend using rearward facing infant carriers as substitutes for safety belts because infants have been known to fall out during collisions with vehicles traveling up to 30 miles per hour . The AAP’s recommendations on when babies may ride in front vs backseat: http://www.aapsonline.org/pediatrics_safety_briefs/carseats#backup
Tips For Buying A Baby Car Seat
- When buying a car seat, it’s best to try a few in your car before making a decision. Try to find a retailer who is willing to help you with this. Ask whether staff have been trained in fitting car seats.
- Check whether your car has Isofix connectors built into it. These are designed to make fitting baby and child car seats simpler. Most modern family cars have them. They may be hidden in the cracks between the padding of your car seats.
- Some car seat manufacturers have online guides showing which cars their seats will fit in. If your baby is likely to travel in another car regularly for example, with other family members check the car seat fits their car, too.
- Always choose a baby or child car seat that’s right for your child’s current height and weight see What size car seat? for more.
- Do not buy a secondhand car seat. It could have been damaged in an accident, and may not have all its parts, including the instructions. It may also not be the safest and most user-friendly model, plus it may not fit your car properly.
- Only accept a car seat from friends or family if you know its history, it’s not too old and it comes with instructions.
- Think about how you will be using the car seat. If you’ll be lifting your baby in and out of the car a lot, for example, you may be better off getting a lightweight seat with a base that stays in the car.
- All car seats in this country should be EU approved. Look for the “E” mark label on the seat.
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When Can The Baby Car Seat Face Forward
There is no definitive answer to this question because it depends on the weight and height of your child. As a general guideline, most car seat manufacturers say that children can switch to a front-facing car seat when they reach either the age of one or weigh 20 pounds. However, things have changed over the years.
Rear-facing child seats are suggested until toddlers reach the top weight and height limits of the car seat manufacturer, which is usually around 30 pounds and 36 inches, according to most experts.
While youre driving with your child, adding a mirror that allows her to observe herself while shes in the back seat might assist in reducing tension and boredom.
What If Your Child Doesnt Like Rear
This is a major concern to most parents and for good reason. When a child is crying and wailing, it becomes a distraction for them while driving. The chances of an accident are higher when parents are distracted, thereby risking the safety of the whole family.
Sometimes these tantrums have less to do with the car seat and more to do with the fact that your child is a toddler, and throwing fits is par for the course. However, rear-facing does not necessarily need to be boring. You can use a car mirror so you and your infant can see each other . Older kids can keep themselves busy with toys or look outside the rear window.
After some time, your child gets used to the idea that youre up front even though they dont see you. Besides, the safety of your child should always come first. Rear-facing car seats are usually comfortable so you have nothing to worry about.
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When To Move To A Forward
Youll know your baby has outgrown their rear-facing car seat when they reach the maximum height or weight for their restraint check the manufacturers instructions.
- AUS/NZ standard seats have height markers.
- For other standards the child’s head within 2.5cm of the top of the seat is a good indication theyre growing out of it.
Note that their feet coming over the end of the restraint isn’t a problem.
Outgrowing the restraint doesnt mean its time for the child to turn forward-facing. Its recommended children sit rear-facing for as long as possible, and ideally beyond the age of two.
If youre uncertain, contact a child restraint technician for advice.
When Can A Child Sit In The Front Seat In South Carolina
How much does a child have to weigh to sit in the front seat in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, your child can sit in the front seat if theyre older than 8 years and use a proper restraint device. They can also sit in the front seat if the car has no back seat.
But there are no requirements on weight or height to allow a child to sit in the front seat.
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Q What Happens If My Baby Falls Asleep In The Car Seat
I doubt there are many parents out there who havent at one time or another taken their child for a ride in their car seat for the sole purpose of trying to coax them into falling asleep. However, car seats are designed for travel, not for prolonged sleep, and should be used only under supervision of a parent or caregiver, Pelky shares. There is low risk for children who are properly buckled who fall asleep in their car seat in the vehicle or a matching travel stroller designed for the car seat, because these devices keep the child positioned at the proper recline angle.
However, she says, if the harness straps are loosened or the car seat is placed on another surface the childs position and angle may change and cause respiratory issues.
Although it may be tempting to avoid anything that might wake the baby, upon reaching their destination, be sure to move your sleeping child from the car seat to a safe sleep space where theyll be on their back, on a flat surface designed for infant sleep.
Should I Use A Convertible Seat
Convertible seats are designed to protect kids:
- from birth up to at least 40 pounds facing backward
- up to 65 pounds or even 80 pounds facing forward, depending on the model
Convertible seats are placed in different positions depending on a child’s age and size:
- They face toward the rear until a baby is ready to face forward .
- Then, they can be turned around and “converted” to a forward-facing seat.
Some car seats are known as “all-in-one” or “3-in-one” because they convert from rear-facing to front-facing to booster with the harness removed.
Convertible seats:
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When Can A Baby Face Forward In A Car Seat
There are two categories of seats, those that are manufactured to the latest EU standard ECE R129, known as i-Size and are based on a child’s height and those manufactured under the EU standard ECE R44-04, these are weight-based.
When height-based seats are used , the child must travel rear-facing until they reach the age of 15 months. In other words, they can face forward after 15 months.
When weight-based seats are selected , the child may travel rear-facing until reaching a weight of 13kgs. Thereafter, they can face-forwards.
However, we recommend the use of rear-facing car seats for as long as it is possible. Babies are not little adults. Rear-facing seats provide significant safety benefits to a child if involved in an accident.
How long should a baby be in a rear-facing seat?
The law requires a baby to travel rear-facing until 15months. A child/toddler can travel in a rear-facing seat until they are 25kgs, approximately between 5 and 6 years old.
It is a proven fact, that children travelling rear-facing, are significantly safer than those travelling forward-facing. At the In Car Safety Centre, we would try to persuade you to have your children traveling rear-facing for as long as possible.
Do not hesitate to get in touch with a member of our team if you have any more questions.
The Middle Of The Back Seat Is Safest
If possible, children should sit in the back middle seat to help reduce the risk of direct impact from a collision. A study published in the journal Pediatrics showed that the center spot in the back seat is 43% safer than the side. If you have more than one child and one is rear-facing, the forward-facing child should be in the middle since they are less protected.
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When Should I Switch My Child To A Forward
Wait until your child reaches the weight or height maximum for the rear-facing position and is at least 2 years old before turning the car seat around to the forward-facing position.
In addition to following your car seat’s rear-facing height and weight limits, pay attention to how your child fits in the seat. Make sure that your child’s head is at least 1 inch below the top rim of the plastic shell .
Children’s bodies are different their torsos can vary quite a bit in length, for example. So while they’ll likely fit just fine in their car seat until they reach the height limit, it’s a good idea to double check. Make sure that there’s at least an inch of room above your child’s head in order for the seat to provide full protection.
Many parents start with an infant car seat, while others use a convertible car seat or all-in-one car seat from the beginning. No matter which of these seats you have, use it rear-facing until you can’t anymore.
Once your child outgrows an infant car seat , replace it with a convertible or all-in-one car seat with a higher height and weight limit. Install the new car seat in the rear-facing position to allow your child to continue to face backward.
When your child outgrows the rear-facing weight or height limit, they can transition to a forward-facing car seat. Keep your child in a car seat with a harness for as long as possible, at least until age 4.
When Is It Time For A Forward
You put a lot of thought into your newborns rear-facing car seat. It was a key item on your baby registry and how you got your little one safely home from the hospital.
Now that your baby isnt such a baby anymore though, youre starting to wonder if its time for a forward-facing car seat. Perhaps your little one has already reached the weight and height limit for their rear-facing seat and youre wondering whats next.
Or maybe theyre not at the size limits just yet, but you think enough time has passed and youd like to know if you can flip them around to face forward.
Whatever your situation, weve got you covered with info on when its recommended to use a forward-facing car seat as well as some tips to make sure that youre getting it installed properly.
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What Makes A Rear
It is important for parents to understand what happens to children in an accident before they can decide whether to keep them in a rear-facing seat. In the event of a car crash at about 30 mph.
It is relatively slow. In addition, Dr. Hoffman says it is capable of throwing a 10-pound child nearly 450 pounds of momentum. Compared to a 10-pound bowling ball dropped from a third-story window, thats about 40% more momentum.
There is a lot of force that needs to be dealt with, and we need to make sure its done in a way that protects the person, Hoffman explains.
It is important to remember that car seats spread that force over the largest amount of area possible in order to protect kids. When a child is pushed into a rear-facing seat in a crash, the entire force of the crash is distributed head to toe.
Compared with rear-facing car seats, front-facing car seats have a much less protective surface area, such as a five-point harness. In addition, a rear-facing seat does not provide adequate protection for a babys enormous wiggly-woggly head.
As a result of being thrown forward in a crash, an adults head and neck could suffer injury. For a child, however, the head would be thrown forward with much more force than an adults head. There is a high risk that they will suffer a catastrophic head, neck, or spinal injury.
When Can A Child Face Forward In A Car Seat
You should keep your child in the rear-facing position for as long as possible. But instead of using age as a guideline, keep the following in mind:
- When they reach either the weight or height limit. Your child should stay rear-facing until she has hit the maximum height or weight for that position, says the AAP and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration . Most rear-facing infant seats can accommodate children until they reach 28 to 35 pounds or 30 to 35 inches, but keep in mind that many children will reach the maximum height before they do the maximum weight. Once a child outgrows a rear-facing infant seat, she can switch to a convertible seat in a rear-facing position, which can often be used until a child is between 40 and 50 pounds. You can find your seats height and weight limits on the tag or in the manufacturer instructions.
- Not before age 2. Years ago, age 2 was considered the standard time to switch to the forward-facing position. Now, its considered the absolute minimum, because most 2-year-olds wont be adequately protected from a crash in a forward-facing seat. Rather than basing your switch on the calendar, do so only when your child reaches the maximum height or weight limit for the rear-facing position of her convertible seat. For many, this doesnt happen until age 3 or 4.
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Using A Baby Or Child Car Seat
- Make sure you always put your baby into their car seat from the pavement side of the car.
- Make sure your baby is securely strapped in according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When you buy your car seat, ask the retail staff to demonstrate how to strap your baby into it.
- Use a rear-facing car seat for as long as your child fits into it, as these offer better protection in the event of a car accident.
Overview Of Texas Car Seat Laws 2022
Texas Legislature in Sec. 545.412. on Child Passenger Safety Seat System reads: A person commits an offense if the person operates a passenger vehicle, transports a child who is younger than eight years of age, unless the child is taller than four feet, nine inches, and does not keep the child secured during the operation of the vehicle in a child passenger safety seat system.
Texas State Regulations
The child seat laws go into three car seat stages rear-facing, forward-facing, and booster. So we also talk about Texas car seat laws in these three categories.
Cant wait to know the Texas booster seat laws. Just click the booster field below.
Texas Booster Seat Laws
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