The safest place to install your child’s car seat is at the center of the back seat. The back seat of your car is the safest place to install your child’s car seat because it is far away from the airbags in your car. In the event of an accident, your car’s airbags automatically inflate and may hit your child.
This force with which the airbag hits your child may result in damage to your child’s neck, head, and spine. This article provides information on the safest place for you to place your car seat and reasons for this.
Where Should I Place My Child Car Seat?
You should never install your child’s car seat at the front of your car. If you are in a car accident, irrespective of how minor it is, the chances of your child being seriously injured are high. This is because, in an accident, the airbags at the passenger side might open up and hit your baby. This force with which the airbag deflates is sure to cause grave neck, spine, and head trauma to your child.
The best place to place your child’s car seat is at the rear end of your vehicle. Ensure the car seat is positioned at a good distance away from the airbags on the passenger side of your car. Simply put, your car seat should be placed at the center portion of the back seat. Your car seat should be installed such that it faces the rear end of your car.
Why is the Backseat Region the Best Place for Me to Place My Child Car Seat?
Studies have shown that when children between the ages of zero and three years are placed in the back seat, they stand a better chance of surviving a crash. Back seat car seat placement reduced the chance of sustaining serious injuries by an impressive 41%.
Installing your car seat in the back seat is better than other positions because it reduces the chances of trauma sustained from airbag inflation. While airbags may protect adults and older children from injury and even death, they have been known to cause catastrophic injury to younger children.
Airbags open up with a great deal of force, this force may be lethal for babies and young children. A failed airbag inflation would result in the airbags hitting your child with such great force resulting in head and neck injuries.
Car seats placed at the center position of the car’s back seat are far from both driver and passenger-side airbags. Therefore, the risk of a failed airbag inflicted injury is low or nonexistent.
What Do I Do If My Child Safety Seat Doesn’t Have a Latch at the Center?
The latch was specifically designed to attach child car seats securely to your vehicle. Even though the safest place to install your child’s car seat is at the center of the back seat, some cars do not have a latch at the center! If your car doesn’t have a latch at the back seat center position, you can attach your car seat via the center seat belt.
If you have to install a car safety seat with your cars seat belt, you must make sure the seat belt holds the seat securely. You can lock your seat belt in most new car models by pulling it back, then leaving it to retract. This keeps the seat belt firm around the child’s car seat. Also, many car safety seats come with inbuilt locks to allow you to lock the belt easily.
How Can I Install My Car Seat to The Backseat of My Vehicle with My Vehicle’s Seat Belt?
If your car lacks a latch for the car seat, feel free to use the seat belt at the center to attach your child’s car seat. To do this, follow these guidelines.
To start, you should attach the base of the child’s car seat first. Installing the car seat base first makes it easy for you to get the car seat in and out of your car.
-
- The first step for installing the car seat base requires you to set the car seat base in your car’s middle seat. The seat base should be at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees when it is placed correctly on the seat. You can determine the car seat’s angle with the car seat’s angle indicator included in the pack of your car seat.
- Secure the base of your child’s car seat to your vehicle using your vehicle’s seat belt. You should pass the seat belt through the indicated “path” at the child car seat base. Lock in the seat belt by pulling it out then releasing it. You should hear a sound when it locks.
- Next, please make sure the car seat base is securely fastened such that it doesn’t move out of place, then install the car seat to the base. Place the car seat right on the base of the car seat.
I Have Three Children Who Gets the Center Position at The Back Seat?
If you have more than one child, don’t worry about who should get the center position at the back. The primary concern should be installing the car seats correctly in the back seat. Both sides of the back seat are quite safe for your children to occupy.
Conclusion
The safest place for you to install your child’s car seat is at your back seat’s center position. This position shields the child from the possibly fatal head, neck, and spine injury that could result if your airbag is deployed. If you have more than two kids, install their car seats on either side of the backseat. Just be sure to install the car seats correctly.
We are happy to present this collaborative post to offer valuable information to our readers.
