Last Updated On November 22nd, 2018
Having an infant seat is necessary to keep the toddler safe while travelling. The ideal age for the kid to use the infant seat is 3 years and below. If he or she outgrows, that is the time to start using a booster. Whilst selecting a child seat consider where you want to place the child in the vehicle. Also, ensure that it can fit properly in the position you choose.
Front Passenger Seat or at the Back?
It is much safer to place the rear facing infant seat in the back than in the front. This is because most common accident involves impact on the front part of the motor vehicle as such the rear is safer for the child to travel. Also, in the back, the toddler will be able to rest without much disturbance. Placing the rear facing baby seat in the back instead of the front will reduce the risk of being killed in a crash by a third. In case of a head on collision, a kid in the front can be thrown into your vehicle dashboard or via the windshield. This can cause serious injury to the infant or death. Even though the baby is well buckled in, he or she is at high risk of being hurt by objects found in the vehicle.
Things to Remember
If you must place a rear facing seat in the in the front section, ensure that it is far back. Make sure that your baby is far away from the dashboard. Also, confirm whether the back facing infant seat is correctly held by the seat belt and the child is well held by the vehicle safety belt.
Some parents like to put their children in the front so that to be able to keep an eye on them. However, the infants are safer in the rear since they will not cause much distraction. Whenever you are looking after your infant and driving at the same time, you can be distracted and more likely cause an accident. When driving, you require having full concentration. Therefore, every time the child needs monitoring due to health issues, for instance, request another person to ride with the toddler in the back.
Never place a rear facing seat in the front whenever the passenger air bag is not deactivated. It is risky and unlawful to do that since whenever the airbag goes off, it will fling forward with a lot of force. If the vehicle has sensors which can automatically switch off the air bag, then you can place the kid in the front. Nonetheless, it is still better that you place the baby on the back every time you are travelling.
Additionally, passenger air bags inflate with a lot of force such that they can cause severe head and neck injuries to the baby. Research has shown that many children have been killed by air bags in the recent years and many of these deaths are caused by collisions. Toddlers and infants in the rear facing infant seat are at high risk when put in the front because the back of their seat is near the dashboard.
If despite all these dangers, you must place a rear-facing infant seat in the front, turn off your vehicle air bags if it has an automatic switch. Whenever your seat does not have the on and off switch, you can have one installed. The safety of the child should come first as such; the safety of the infant should not be taken for granted. Before buying rear-facing infant seats consider where your baby will be safe in the vehicle.
Also read: Are Car Seat Laws Changing?