How to Install Infant Car Seats

Proper car seat installation may be one of the most important safety measures a parent must perform to keep a child safe. As important as this is, car seat installation is often done incorrectly. Many parents do not even realize that their children are not sufficiently safe while riding in a vehicle due to improper car seat installation.

Here are some guidelines for proper car seat installation. Follow all manufacturer instructions carefully and completely. Check the car seat installation often also to make sure that the restraint system does not change or shift.

Things You'll Need

• Infant car seat Locking clip (possibly)

Instructions

Installing an Infant Car Seat

1. Place the car seat in the center position of the back seat of the vehicle. The seat must sit level against the bottom and back of the seat. Some car seats have a level indicator that will show you when the car seat is at the appropriate level.

2. Thread the seatbelt through the slots of the car seat according to the manufacturer's directions. Place your knee on the car seat and push it down as hard as you can while buckling the car seat into the vehicle. You should not be able to shift the car seat more than 1 inch each in any direction if it is sufficiently tightened.

   With some older vehicles, a locking clip may be necessary to secure the car seat in place. Check with your vehicle and car seat specifications to see if this is necessary in your situation.

3. Restrain the baby in the car seat with the car seat restraint system.

   New car seat models come equipped with a 5-point harness for the most effective restraint for a small child. If your car seat only has a 3-point harness, consider upgrading to a 5-point harness.

4. Make sure that the car seat restraints are not twisted and that the straps are all properly threaded. The straps that fit over the baby's shoulders should fit snugly around the shoulders. Check to make sure that you can fit a finger's width and no more between the straps and the baby.

   Check to make sure that the plastic harness clip that secures the straps on the baby's shoulders is at the baby's armpit level and not lower.

Tips & Warnings

• Stop by your local police department and ask if the officers would be willing to check your car seat installation. The police department is often very willing to help parents make sure that their children are safe in a vehicle in this way.

• Never place a car seat on a seat that contains an air bag. The force of the airbag could kill a child in a car seat in the event of an accident.