Car seat safety: Avoid 9 common mistakes
4. Incorrectly installing the car seat or buckling up your child
5. Reclining your child at the incorrect angle
6. Moving to a forward-facing car seat too soon
7. Not removing your child's heavy outerwear
8. Moving to a booster seat too soon
9. Incorrectly using a booster seat
10. Transitioning to a safety belt too soon
9. Transitioning to a safety belt too soon
3. Incorrectly installing the car seat or buckling up your child
4. Reclining your child at the incorrect angle
6. Not removing your child's heavy outerwear
8. Incorrectly using a booster seat
9. Transitioning to a seat belt too soon
1. Getting a used car seat without doing your homework
Content
1. Getting a used car seat without checking that it's safe
2. Placing the car seat in the wrong spot
3. Installing the car seat or buckling up your child the wrong way
4. Reclining your child at the wrong angle
5. Moving to a forward-facing car seat too soon
6. Not removing your child's heavy outer clothes
7. Moving to a booster seat too soon
8. Using a booster seat the wrong way
9. Switching to a seat belt too soon
2. Placing the car seat in the wrong spot
The safest place for your child's car seat is in the back seat, away from active air bags. Air bags in the front seat are made to protect the head and face of an adult in a seat belt. If you put the car seat in the front seat and the air bag inflates, it can be dangerous. It can cause a serious or deadly injury if the airbag inflates and hits the seat or child.
Some vehicles have only one row of seats, such as some pickup trucks. Don't use a car seat in these unless you can turn off the air bag. In the U.S., you need to send a request to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to turn off the air bag. An authorized dealer or repair shop can turn off the air bag if NHTSA says it's OK.
If you have only one car seat in the back seat, install it in the center of the seats. Putting the car seat in the center lowers the risk of injury during a crash.
