Child Safety Seat Age Information
Infants
- Use rear-facing safety seats for all infants up to one year old and at least 20 pounds. Only rear-facing seats provide the necessary head and spinal support infants need.
- A car bed should be used for babies born earlier than 37 weeks who weigh less than 5 1/2 pounds and might have breathing problems. The head of the seat should be facing the middle of the car.
- Always place rear-facing seats in the back seat fastened with the safety belt. Never place a rear-facing seat in front of an airbag.
- Make sure child is securely belted into the safety seat and that harnesses fit properly. Shoulder straps must be at or below the child's shoulders and must be snug.
- Make sure the child fits in the seat. If using a convertible seat for a newborn, choose one without a shield.
- Car seat should be at a 45 degree angle to keep babies head from flopping forward.
Fill empty space in seat by placing rolled up blankets on the sides of your baby.
Toddlers
- Children one-year-old or over, weighing at least 20 pounds who can sit up by themselves may ride in forward-facing safety seats or use a forward-facing vest.
- Harnesses:
- 5-point Harness: A 5-point harness (A) is preferred by many safety experts because the lap part of the harness fits over the child's strong hip bones. This kind of harness can be adjusted to fit snugly on both very small infants and larger children. However, the straps may twist and tangle. Keep the straps flat for maximum protection.
- T-Shield: Shoulder straps are attached to a flat pad (B). The shield reduces twisting of shoulder straps. It can be buckled quickly with one hand. Some have straps that adjust automatically to fit properly.
- Tray Shield: Shoulder straps are attached to a wide, padded shield (C) that swings up. Some shields may not fit over the child's head unless the straps are adjusted each time. This may give you the mistaken idea that your child has outgrown the seat. In some cars, the roof may be too low to allow you to raise the shield completely.
- Always remember to use the shoulder straps in the safety seats.
- Most children outgrow their toddler safety seat when they weight about 40 pounds and are around 40 inches tall.
Preschool
- Children should stay in car safety seats with shoulder straps until the seats are outgrown (when their shoulder are above the top set of strap slots).
- Children are still too small for safety belts. Lap belts will ride up on the tummy causing serious injury.
- Booster seats help correctly position the lap and shoulder belt and should be used for children weighing over 40 pounds who have outgrown forward-facing safety seats.
- 3 Types of Booster Seats:
- Removable Shield - used when only a lap belt is available. Shield can be removed when a shoulder belt is available. Not safe for children over 40 pounds.
- No Shield (D) - used with combination lap and shoulder belt to make it fit correctly.
- High-backed (E) - used to position combination seatbelts correctly. Usually have a clip/strap to hold belt in place. Some have removable harnesses.
- The safest booster seat has no shield and lets you use the shoulder/lap belt of the car's safety belt.
- Children outgrow booster seats at about 80 pounds.
Older Children - Seat Belts
The average child who will fit in a lap/shoulder belt correctly is about 4'9" and 80 pounds.
- The lap belt must be low and snug over the top of the thighs.
- Never buckle two children into the same safety belt.
- A shoulder strap needs to fit across the child's chest, not the neck. NEVER tuck a shoulder strap under the armpit or behind the child's back.
- The safest place for all children 12 & under is in the back seat.
The Back Seat is the Safest Seat!
Q. Why are children safer in the back seat?
A. The rear seat is the safest for any passenger. A person sitting in the back seat is farthest away from the impact and less likely to be injured. People sitting in the rear have the soft back of the front seat in front of them, instead of hard surfaces like the windshield, mirror, or dashboard.
Never use any safety seat that has been in a crash!!!
