Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. One of the most frequent questions parents have is how to properly place their baby in a car seat to ensure their safety. Improperly fitted car seats, incorrectly positioning of the car seat, and failure to securely restrain the car seat and the child in it are hazards parents can avoid by learning about car seat safety.
While there will always be a tether anchor for the center seat in the LATCH system, there may not be lower anchors for the center seat. By building the lower anchors for car seats into the vehicle, the goal of LATCH restraints is to make positioning a child safely in a car seat easier for parents.
However, the system can be a little confusing, as parents are often told that the center of the back seat is the safest place to position a car seat—but the LATCH straps can be placed in the side seats. The safest car seat position will depend on your specific vehicle, the car seat you're using, and your family's needs. You might want to install your child's car seat in the center for several reasons.
A rear-facing seat in the center usually allows both front seats to be moved back sufficiently, while a rear-facing car seat on the side can push the front seat up more than an adult driver or passenger might prefer. Additionally, the center is ideal if you need one child and two adults to fit in the back seat, in which case it is best to have the child in the center. Sitting on the sides gives the adults more room rather than trying to squeeze them into a narrow center.
In terms of safety, research indicates that the center position can be slightly safer than the side in certain situations. For example, in the event of a collision, being in the center reduces the likelihood of experiencing a direct impact. Alternatively, positioning your child's car seat in the side position may work better if you have a car seat with a load leg a supporting metal pole that rests on the floor of the car. This feature often won't work in many center seats because the floor is too elevated to accommodate the load leg.
However, the safety benefit of the load leg far outweighs the small added risk of riding on the side. This feature confers both ease of installation and safety benefits. Sometimes, your car seat doesn't install securely in the center seat this is fairly common, as many centers are too narrow to accommodate a car seat.
You also may have two kids who fight if right next to each other and need to be separated. When you're looking for the LATCH system in your car, your first stop should be the vehicle owner's manual. If you can't find the physical copy, don't worry—you can almost always find it online for free. Next, take a look at the back seat of your vehicle.
If this is the case, fit the seat on a rear seat that has a lap and diagonal seat belt. If you are using an Isofix or i-size child seat you can only use the middle rear seat if it has Isofix points. It is better to use this seat, than the one behind the driver, because it means you can normally get the child in and out of the car on the pavement side. Navigation Sub-navigation. Position 1: Front Passenger Seat It is safer for your children to travel in the rear seats than the front.
If you use this seat, make sure the child seat can be fitted in this position correctly. The automaker will often specify the distance between the inner anchors.
Check your car-seat manual. Use this interactive table to determine compatibility between your vehicle manufacturer and car-seat manufacturer for a center-seat installation with borrowed lower anchors. If you don't see your car seat or vehicle manufacturer listed, then lower anchor installations with spacing greater than 11 inches aren't allowed.
Britax allows for center lower anchor borrowing with car seats produced before and only if specified in the car-seat manual. What if my vehicle and car seat are not compatible for this scenario? You have two options, both of which are safe. Child seats have come a long way over the years, but proper installation is key. Sign In. Become a Member. Remember Me.
Forgot username or password? Not a member? Need further assistance? Please call Member Services at Here's how you'll know that your child is ready:. If you have questions about child passenger safety laws or need help installing a car seat, participate in a local car seat clinic or inspection event. You can also check with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for help finding a car seat inspection station.
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Car seat safety: Avoid 9 common mistakes Car seat safety isn't child's play. By Mayo Clinic Staff.
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