Stay safe and buckle up
Choosing the right car seat, installing it correctly and using it every trip can make all the difference in saving a life. The tips above offer pointers for parents about rear-facing infant, forward-facing and booster seats.
Related resources
Stay safe and buckle up
Choosing the right car seat, installing it correctly and using it every trip can make all the difference in saving a life. The tips above offer pointers for parents about rear-facing infant, forward-facing and booster seats.
Related resources
Stay safe and buckle up

Choosing the right car seat, installing it correctly and using it every trip can make all the difference in saving a life. The tips above offer pointers for parents about rear-facing infant, forward-facing and booster seats.
Car seat safety
Keeping children safe
- Motor vehicle crashes are #1 cause of death among children
- Child safety seats can reduce fatal injury up to 71% for infants and 54% for toddlers
Tips on using your car seat
Harness safety
- Straps should lie flat.
- Straps should be placed through the slots below your child's shoulders for a rear-facing seat and at or above your child's shoulders for a forward-facing seat.
- Place the chest clip at armpit level.
- It's snug when you can't pinch any extra strap material at the shoulder.
Rear-facing infant seat
- Installation: Make sure your car seat base is installed at the correct recline angle. Babies must ride sitting semi-reclined so their airways remain open. The latch system or the seat belt can be used, but not both.
- Rule: Keep infants and toddlers in rear-facing seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight listed for their car seat model.
Forward-facing car seat
- Installation: Place the seat in the back seat only. Lock the seat belt or lower anchors, and attach the top tether. Each seat may have a different limit for using the anchors and tether, so check your car seat for specifics.
- Rule: Once forward-facing, children should be buckled in a five-point harness car seat system until they either reach age 4 or weight 40 pounds, whichever comes first.
Booster seat
- Belt: Position the lap and shoulder belt on your child – correctly positioning the lap belt across his/her upper thighs and the shoulder belt across the center of his/her chest.
- Position: Never put the shoulder belt behind your child's back or under his or her arm.
- Rule: Most children will need to ride in a belt-positioning booster seat until they reach 4 feet 9 inches tall and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
Related resources
Stay safe and buckle up

Choosing the right car seat, installing it correctly and using it every trip can make all the difference in saving a life. The tips above offer pointers for parents about rear-facing infant, forward-facing and booster seats.