Rear Facing

0-3 years old (Until minimum of age 2 as per AAP recommendation)

Rear facing is the safest way for children to travel. It is the best way to prevent brain and spinal cord injuries. A child should ride in a rear-facing car seat AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. It is best practice to rear face to a minimum of age 2, and ideally until the child reaches the top height or weight limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Children under 2 years old are 75% safer rear facing. Children 12-24 months are 5 times less likely to be killed or seriously injured when rear facing than forward facing. Feet touching the back of seat is not a safety concern – approx 0.1% of kids rear-facing will suffer lower extremity injury – the rate is much higher when forward-facing. Also, kids are flexible, so it is not uncomfortable for them. Check out more about rear facing basics, science, and crash dynamics.

  • Position harness straps at or below shoulders.
  • Position chest clip at armpit level.
  • Install seat at the correct angle and through the correct belt path.
  • Child should have no less than 1″ of car seat shell above their head (unless otherwise specified in the manual)
  • Car seat should be installed with LATCH or Seat Belt, Never both (unless otherwise specified by car seat and vehicle manufacturers)
  • Car seat should be installed with no more that 1″ of movement side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path, with LATCH or locked seat belt.

H2S Rear Facing Car Seat

Forward facing with 5-point harness

2-7 years old

Forward facing in a convertible, combination, or 3-in-1 car seat with a 5-point harness when child has outgrown the height and weight limits of their rear-facing seat and is over 2 years old.

*Legal minimum is age of 1, however skeletal development is not mature enough to safely forward face before age 2+ as per AAP and NHTSA. Forward facing too soon substantially increases likelihood of head and neck injuries and deaths.

Whenever possible, always tether the forward-facing seat! The top tether is the strap that secures top of car seat to anchor in back of vehicle – it decreases brain & spinal cord injury by decreasing child’s head excursion in crash.

  • Position harness straps at or above shoulders.
  • Position chest clip at armpit level.
  • Ears should be below the top of the shell.
  • Install seat through the correct belt path.
  • Top tether should be attached whenever possible.
  • Car seat should be installed with LATCH or Seat Belt, Never both (unless otherwise specified by car seat and vehicle manufacturers)
  • Car seat should be installed with no more that 1″ of movement side-to-side or front-to-back at the belt path, with LATCH or seat belt locked.

H2S-Forward-Facing-Car-Seat

Belt Positioning Booster

4-12 years old

Belt positioning booster should be used when a child has outgrown their five point harness and is mature enough to sit properly, usually not before age of 5. Booster positions seat belt properly on child’s body, because a poorly positioned seat belt is a major source of injury to spinal cord & abdominal organs.

  • Shoulder belt should fit properly (evenly across and flush with the torso, not cutting into the neck, slipping off the shoulder, or held out in front of the chest)
  • Lap belt should fit properly (low on the hips; on top of the thighs)
  • Child has to be mature enough to stay seated in the proper position for the entire ride (without leaning out of the seat belt or unbuckling), even while asleep
  • Can only be used with a lap-and-shoulder belt (never with a lap-only belt)
  • Shoulder belt should be threaded through the belt guide and positioned at or above the child’s shoulders.
  • When using a backless booster, the vehicle must have a headrest that is at least high enough to be at the tips of the child’s ears.
  • When the child is not in the vehicle, the booster may become a projectile and should be secured by a seat belt or lower anchors.

H2S Booster Car Seat

Vehicle Seat Belt Alone

8+ years old

When a child has outgrown their booster seat and meets all of the following 5 criteria (usually about 10-12 years old), they are ready for an adult seat belt alone. All children must ride in the back seat of the vehicle until age 13.

  • Child sits comfortably all the way back in the vehicle seat with their knees bent at the edge of the vehicle seat.
  • Shoulder belt fits evenly across the torso, not cutting into the neck or face.
  • Lap belt is low on the hips, touching the tops of the thighs (not on the abdomen).
  • Feet are on the floor.
  • Child can remain seated comfortably this way for the entire ride.

H2S Vehicle Seat Belt Alone

Always read the Car Seat and the Vehicle User Manuals. If possible, have the car seat installation inspected by a local certified Child Passenger Safety Technician.

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These updated recommendations for child passenger safety are based on the Best Practices for injury prevention as per American Academy of Pediatrics and NHTSA. 

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Child_Car_Seat_CPS_Infographic_NHTSA