• Does your child exceed the car seat’s rear-facing height and weight limits?

• Is your child’s head within one inch of the car seat top?

• Use a rear-facing car seat correctly in a back seat every time your baby rides in a car.

• Use the right car seat for your baby’s weight and height. Infants are weighed and measured at every doctor visit, so be sure to keep track.

• Use the car’s safety belt or LATCH system to lock the car seat into the car. Your car seat should not move more than one inch side to side or front to back. Grab the car seat at the safety beltpath or LATCH path to test it.

• Put harnesses through the slots so they are even with or below the infant’s shoulders. Be sure the harness is tight, so you can’t pinch extra webbing at the shoulder.

• Adjust the chest clip to armpit level.

• Use your baby’s car seat rear-facing and reclined no more than 45 degrees, so the baby’s head stays in contact with the seat and the baby’s airway stays open. Read the car seat instructions.

• Keep your baby rear-facing until at least age 1 and 20 pounds. Use a rear-facing convertible seat longer if the seat has higher weight and height limits.

• Find where the frontal airbags are in your vehicle by checking the owner’s manual. Never put a rear-facing car seat in front of an active airbag.

Be sure all occupants wear safety belts correctly every time. Children learn from adult role models.
 
For a car seat installation video, click here.