All Children Need to Be Safely Secured in Motor Vehicles

Infants should ride in rear-facing car safety seats until they have reached both 20 pounds AND one year of age. The AAP recommends keeping children rear-facing to the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat’s manufacturer. Never place a rear-facing car safety seat in front of an air bag.

Children who have outgrown their rear-facing seats should ride in forward-facing car safety seats for as long as they fit well (ears below the top of the back of the seat and shoulders below the top harness slots or until they reach the top weight or height allowed for their seats).

Children who have outgrown their car safety seats but are too small to wear seat belts properly should ride in booster seats. For more information about safe transportation of children who have outgrown their car safety seats, please see the AAP/Partners for Child Passenger Safety Issue Report on Booster Seats http://www.chop.edu/traumalink/download/2004/pcps_cpsreport.pdf

Seat belts fit properly when they can be worn with the lap portion of the belt low and snug across the thighs, and the shoulder portion across the chest and shoulder without cutting across the face and neck while sitting against the vehicle seat back with feet comfortably hanging down.

Remember that all children age 12 years and younger are safest in the back seat.

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