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American Academy of Pediatrics

Car Safety Seats - Basic Guidelines

Every state requires that infants and children ride buckled up. However, state laws do not always require the safest way to transport a child. More children are still killed as passengers in car crashes than from any other type of injury. Using a car safety seat correctly can help prevent injuries to young children, but it is not as easy as you think. Just a little mistake in how the car safety seat is used could cause serious injury to your child.

Which is the "best" car safety seat?

  • No one car safety seat is "safest" or "best." The "best" car safety seat is one that fits your child's size and weight, can be installed correctly in your car, and that you will use every time you drive.
  • Price does not always make a difference. Higher prices can mean added features that may or may not make the car safety seat easier to use.
  • When you find a car safety seat you like, try it out! Put your child in the car safety seat and adjust the harnesses and buckles. Make sure it fits in your car.
  • Keep in mind that displays or illustrations of car safety seats in stores do not always show them being used correctly.
Basics of Car Safety Seat Use
  • Always use a car safety seat, starting with your baby's first ride home from the hospital, and always use your own seat belt. Help your child form a lifelong habit of buckling up.
  • Read the car safety seat manufacturer's instructions and always keep them with the car safety seat.
  • Read your vehicle owner's manual for important information on how to install the car safety seat correctly in your vehicle.
  • The safest place for all children to ride is in the back seat.
  • Never place a child in a rear-facing car safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active passenger airbag.
  • The harness system holds your child in the car safety seat and the seat belt or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system holds the car safety seat in the car. Attach both snugly to protect your child.
Car Seats and Shopping Carts
Do not place a child of any age in a shopping cart. Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts. Although infant seats may help prevent falls from shopping carts, injuries can still occur if the cart tips over. The weight of an infant in an infant seat placed high in a shopping cart may make the cart more top-heavy and more likely to tip over. This is true even for shopping carts with built-in infant seats. Thousands of children are hurt every year from falling from shopping carts or from the carts tipping over. Instead, consider use of a stroller while shopping with young infants or a backpack or frontpack for older children.

A new car safety seat is best. However, if you must get a used seat, shop very carefully. TO tell if a used car safety seat is safe, keep the following points in mind:


DO NOT Use a car safety seat that:
  • Is too old. Look on the label for the date it was made. If it is more than 10 years old, it should not be used. Some manufacturers recommend that car safety seats only be used for five to six years. Check with the manufacturer to find out how long the company recommends using their seat.
  • Was in a crash. It may have been weakened and should not be used, even if it looks fine. Do not use a car safety seat if you do not know its full history.
  • Does not have a label with the date of manufacture and seat name or model number. Without these, you cannot check on recalls.
  • Does not come with instructions. You need them to know how to use the car safety seat. Do not rely on the former owner's directions. Get a copy of the instruction manual from the manufacturer before you use the seat.
  • Has any cracks in the frame of the seat.
  • Is missing parts. Used car safety seats often come without important parts. Check with the manufacturer to make sure you can get the right parts.
Has the car safety seat been recalled?
You can find out by calling the manufacturer or the Auto Safety Hot Line at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236), from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm ET, Monday through Friday. This information is also available online at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Web site at: http://www.odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/childseat.cfm

If the seat has been recalled, be sure to follow instructions to fix it or get the necessary parts. You also may get a registration card for future recall notices from the hot line.

ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS
If you do not have the car safety seat manufacturer's instructions, write or call the company's consumer relations department, identifying the model number, name of seat, and date of manufacture. The manufacturer's address and phone number are on the label on the seat.

The information contained in this publication should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.