Forward Facing Car Seat Requirements

There are differences types of car seats based on the age and weight of the children riding in them. Infant car seats are built in such a way that the baby faces the back of the car, as this has been determined as the safest seating option for small babies. Car seat laws and regulations developed by the U.S. State Governments and Canadian Government, take into consideration the safety of the baby.

The safety belts in cars are designed with the average sized adult man in mind. These belts therefore, can not adequately protect a small child. Parents are confused about the correct position of the babies and the most frequently asked questions are 1) "When can my baby's rear-facing car seat face forward?", 2) "Does my child need to be in a car seat?" and 3) "Do Car Seats Expire?"

In the U.S., every state has its own laws. And as with all traffic laws, you are expected to follow the laws of the road - the road you are driving on at the time, not the laws of the state you belong to or are licensed by. The laws are designed to help prevent accidental injury or death when your children are riding in a vehicle. The 'minimum' rear and forward facing car seat requirements are stated in these laws.

Height and Weight Requirements for Forward Facing Car Seats

• Infants should stay in rear-facing seats until they reach one year of age.
• A properly installed tether strap should be present in the forward facing car seat, to keep the seat in its best working order.
• According to some experts, the baby can be kept in the rear-facing seat even longer. It will mainly depend on how the seat continues to fit the child. For instance, premature babies require longer time to catch up in weight and height, so your preemie may stay in the rear-facing seat longer than usual.
• Once babies reach the proper weight (weigh more than 20 pounds) and acquire the skills (they can pull themselves up), they can be moved to a front-facing car seat. Babies and toddlers weighing about 20-40 lbs. and between 1-4 years of age can ride in forward-facing car seats or forward-facing convertible seats. These are the basic forward facing car seat requirements.
• Children who are too tall for a forward-facing convertible seat (whose ears line up with the back of the convertible seat) may use a high-backed booster seat.
• Children weighing about 40-80 lbs. and children who are 4 years and older should use a high-backed booster seat. The booster seat raises the child so that the lap and shoulder belt fit properly. Booster seat has a high back that protects the child's head and upper body. Several states like the District of Columbia, California and Arkansas have made booster seats compulsory.
• Shield booster seats should not be used for children weighing more than 40 pounds. For children less than 40 pounds also, they reportedly pose a risk of ejection in a rollover crash.
• When children can sit without slouching, with their feet on the floor of the vehicle and their back straight against the back seat cushion so that knees are over the edge of the seat (usually children weighing about 80 pounds and who are 57" tall), they can use a seat belt. It is important that the lap belt should lie across their hips and not across their stomach while the shoulder belt should fit across their shoulder and not across their neck or throat. It is compulsory to use both the lap and shoulder belt.
• You should always check the manufacturer's rear-facing height limit. It is possible that your baby is in the weight limit to stay safely in the rear facing seat but be sure that the baby is not too tall to be unsafe in that seat. The safety advantages far outweigh any convenience.
• Convertible car seats can be the solution to the problem of the growing child as convertibles can be used as rear-facing seats until the child is older, and then convert to front-facing seats. There are stroller combo seats which are car seats that are also made to fit in the baby stroller so that you never have to take the baby from the seat.
• Here is some information about the booster seats. Booster seats are required in the car for the growing children. According to the rules "a child under the age of 8, who weighs between 40 and 80 pounds and who is under 4 feet 9 inches tall must have a booster seat when in the car". Once your child reaches 8 years of age and weighs more than 80 pounds or stands more than 4 feet 9, a regular seat belt can be used.

The safest place for a child under 12, stated by law, is in the back seat. For adults, during crash, seat belts distribute the impacting force to the strongest parts of the body, the hips and shoulders. Baby car seats are designed to absorb some crash forces and spread remaining crash forces over a larger area of the body. Many states are seeking to change their laws to require children stay in restraints through 8 years and 80 pounds.

You should consider using car seats when traveling by air or train as well. The most recent studies on this subject have revealed the fact that toddlers are up to five times safer if they remain rear-facing until age two. Turning baby's car seat around isn't a milestone to rush on. In fact, it's a step down in safety, so don't be in a hurry to make the big switch.