Selecting a child restraint system (CRS)
When selecting a CRS for your child, always:
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Make sure the CRS has a label certifying that it meets applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS 213).
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Select a CRS based on your child’s height and weight. The required label or the instructions for use typically provide this information.
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Select a CRS that fits the vehicle seating position where it will be used.
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Read and comply with the warnings and instructions for installation and use provided with the CRS.
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The American Academy of Pediatrics provides helpful fit and safety information about child restraints at https://www.healthychildren.org.
Holding children
Never hold a child in your arms or lap when riding in a vehicle. The violent forces created during a crash could tear the child from your arms and throw them against the car’s interior. Always use an appropriate CRS for your child’s height and weight.
Unattended children
Never leave children unattended in a vehicle. The car can heat up very quickly, resulting in injuries to the child in the vehicle.
Seat belt use
Do not use 1 seat belt for 2 occupants at the same time. This will eliminate any safety benefit provided by the seat belt to the occupants.
CRS types
There are 3 main types of the CRS: rear-facing seats, forward-facing seats, and booster seats. They are classified according to the child’s age, height, and weight.
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A rear-facing child seat provides restraint with the surface of the seat against the back of the child. The harness system holds the child in place, and in an accident, keeps the child positioned in the seat and reduces stress to the neck and spinal cord.
They should be used in rear seating positions only.
All children under age 1 must always ride in a rear-facing infant CRS.
Convertible and 3-in-1 child seats typically have higher height and weight limits for the rear-facing position, allowing you to keep your child rear-facing for a longer period of time.
Continue to use a rear-facing child seat for as long as your child will fit within the height and weight limits allowed by the child seat manufacturer. It’s the best way to keep them safe. Once your child has outgrown the rear-facing child restraint, your child is ready for a forward-facing CRS with a harness.
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A forward-facing child seat provides restraint for the child’s body with a harness. Keep children in a forward-facing child seat with a harness until they reach the top height or weight limit allowed by your CRS’s manufacturer.
Once your child outgrows the forward-facing child restraint, your child is ready for a booster seat.
A booster seat is a restraint designed to improves the fit of the vehicle’s seat belt system. A booster seat positions the seat belt so that it fits properly over the lap of your child.
Keep your child in a booster seat until they are big enough to sit in the seat without a booster and still have the seat belt fit properly. For a seat belt to fit properly, the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not across the abdomen or stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snugly across the shoulder and chest, not across the neck or face. Children under age 13 must always ride in the rear seats and be properly restrained to minimize the risk of injury.