How To Install A Car Seat Correctly

Did you know the week of September 18th is National Car Seat Safety Week?  I was able to work with Cars.com last week to learn:

• The proper weight and height requirements for rear- and forward-facing seats
• Whether or not age is a factor when transitioning
• Is your child properly harnessed?
• How to properly install car seats rear- and forward-facing
• How Cars.com approaches its car seat checks

I also walked away with a ton of information to share with all my readers.  My kids are out of car seats, but I know a lot of you still have kids in carseats.  There is so much conflicting information out there on what parents should or shouldn’t do regarding car seats.  Our children are the most important thing in our lives, so we want to make sure they are safe.  The statistic that floored me was that up to 75% of carseats are installed incorrectly!  Here are a few tips to make sure you are doing it correctly.

Choose the Right Car Seat for Your Child

Start by confirming that the car seat matches your child’s age, weight, and height.

• Rear-facing seats are safest for infants and toddlers and should be used as long as possible within the seat’s limits.
• Forward-facing seats are for older toddlers and preschoolers who have outgrown rear-facing limits.
• Booster seats are for children who are too big for a harness but too small for a seat belt alone.

Always check the manufacturer’s label for exact limits.

Also, read the manual that comes with your car seat.  Everything you need to know is in the manual.  What are the weight requirements?  What are the height requirements?  How long before it expires?  All of this can be found in there!

Pick the Safest Seating Position

The back seat is the safest place for any child under 13. If possible, install the car seat in the center-rear seat, as it offers extra protection against side impacts. If the center seat does not allow a secure installation, a rear side seat is still safe when installed correctly.

Decide How to Secure the Car Seat

You can install a car seat using either:

• The LATCH system (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children), or
• The vehicle seat belt

Do not use both at the same time unless your car seat manufacturer explicitly allows it. Check both your vehicle manual and the car seat manual before making a choice.

Install the Car Seat Tightly

Place the car seat on the vehicle seat and thread the LATCH straps or seat belt through the correct belt path (rear-facing or forward-facing). Press down firmly on the car seat while tightening the strap or belt.

A properly installed car seat should not move more than one inch side-to-side or front-to-back when you tug at the belt path.

Adjust the Recline Angle (Rear-Facing Seats)

Rear-facing seats must be reclined at the correct angle to keep your child’s airway open. Most seats have a built-in angle indicator or level line. Adjust as needed using the recline feature or manufacturer-approved methods.

Use the Top Tether (Forward-Facing Seats)

If your child is forward-facing, attach the top tether strap to the designated anchor point in your vehicle. This step significantly reduces head movement during a crash and is critical for safety.

Secure Your Child Correctly

Once the seat is installed:

• Harness straps should be snug, with no slack.
• You should not be able to pinch extra webbing at the shoulder.
• The chest clip should sit at armpit level.
• For rear-facing seats, harness straps should come from at or below the shoulders; for forward-facing, at or above.

Get It Checked

Even careful parents can miss small details. A certified Child Passenger Safety Technician can inspect your installation and answer questions.

Wondering how your car measures up?  Check it out on Cars.com Car Seat Safety Check.  Certified child passenger safety technicians conducted hands-on tests of a car’s Latch system and checked the vehicle’s ability to accommodate different types of car seats, and passed along the results to you!  As we learned, not all cars are created equal.  Some make it easy to install car seats, some do not.  

What I learned most is that if you don’t know, ask!  There are plenty of experts out there who want to help you.  Car seats aren’t rocket science, but they aren’t the easiest things either.  Our children are our worlds and to have something happen would be devastating.