Many children are unnecessarily injured in car accidents because car seats are used incorrectly or not used at all, children are being placed in the wrong type of car seat, and/or they are being moved out of a car seat and into regular seat belts at too early an age. Learning how to use a car seat appropriately can help decrease your child's chance of being hurt or killed in a car accident.

General Care Seat Safety Tips
Be sure to read the car seat manufacturers instructions and your car owner's manual to be sure that you are installing and using the car seat correctly. If you are unsure if you have installed your child's car seat correctly, ask for help. Or consider getting an inspection from a certified child passenger safety seat (CPS) technician or visit an inspection station (see Related Resources links below).

• All children under 13 years of age should be placed in the back seat of the car, especially if you have passenger side air bags.
• Infants should be in a rear-facing infant only seat or convertible seat until they are at least 12 months old and twenty pounds (minimum recommendation), although it is likely safest to continue rear-facing until they reach the weight and height limits of their car seat. Children who reach twenty pounds before their first birthday still need to face backwards and can be moved into a rear-facing convertible seat with higher weight and height limits.
• After they are twenty pounds and have passed their first birthday, toddlers can use a forward-facing car seat with harness straps until they are about 40 pounds or their ears have reached the top of the car seat. Keep in mind that it is likely best to ride in a harnessed seat as long as possible if you have a seat with a harness that has higher weight and height limits.
• Children over forty pounds and four years of age can usually be placed into a belt positioning booster seat, although it is usually best to ride in a seat with harness straps as long as possible if you have one with high weight and height limits.
• You should not use your car's regular seat belts until they fit correctly when your child is 8 to 12 years old, unless he or she is already 4'9"
• Your child will not be ready to use regular seat belts until the shoulder strap fits across his shoulder and not his neck, and the lap belt fits across his hips and not his stomach.
• Car Seats : compare prices

Infant Only Seats
Children should be in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least 12 months old and 20 pounds. Infant only seats can be used rear-facing for children weighing up to 22 pounds, although many newer infant only car seats can now accommodate a child until he is 30-35 pounds. Features of infant only seats can include a detachable base and a 5-point harness.

• Infant Car Seats: compare price

Convertible Seats
These seats are used rear-facing until an infant is 20 to 35 pounds (although newborns may not fit as well as they do in an infant seat), and then convert to a forward-facing seat until a child is about 40 to 80 pounds. Most have a 5 point harness.

• Convertible Car Seats: compare prices

Forward Facing/Combination Seats
Forward-facing seats are used for children who are at least 1 year of age and weigh at least 20 pounds. A combination seat can be used as a forward-facing seat (but never rear facing) with a 5-point harness and can convert into a belt-positioning booster seat for child who are at least 4 years old and weigh more than 40 pounds.

Booster Seats
A booster seat can be used once your child outgrows his forward-facing seat, either by passing the weight requirements or if his ears have gone over the top of the seat. The two types of booster seats include high-back and backless belt-positioning boosters. Use a booster until your child is ready for regular seat belts when he is between 8 and 12 years old and is 4 feet 9 inches tall.

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Which Seat is Best?
You should compare prices and features of the different seats to find the one that fits your child best. Consider buying an Infant Only Seat for you newborn, since they can usually also be used as an infant carrier, and then a Combination Seat after he is a year old. Alternatively, you could buy a Convertible Seat, especially if you have a big baby who you think will reach 20 pounds before he is a year old, and then a Booster Seat when he is about 40 pounds.

• Car Seats: compare prices