How long child rear facing

Remember, advocates recommend that toddlers and preschoolers ride rear-facing until reaching the maximum weight or height for rear-facing in their convertible car seat, which for most kids is between three and five years of age. So you'll want to find a car seat that can work both rear-facing and forward-facing.

Look for a convertible car seat with a high rear-facing weight limit and tall shell, and then use it rear-facing as long as possible. Several car seats today have rear-facing weight limits up to 50 pounds, which should accommodate almost every child through age 5 unless they reach the maximum rear-facing height for the seat. You should check the manufacturer's rear-facing height limit to be sure your child is not too tall to safely stay rear-facing to the weight limit. Crash data shows us that anybody is safer in a crash when riding rear-facing for the reasons outlined above.

Young children are better protected in a rear-facing car seat because that seat distributes the force of a crash over a greater body area and gives better support to young heads and necks. A rear-facing car seat offers the best protection for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and even young school-age kids and should be properly used for as long as possible , to the limits of the car seat.

Keeping your child rear-facing to the limit of the seat is the safest choice. You can check your car seat instruction book or the labels on the car seat sides to find the rear-facing weight and height limits.

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Updated February 28, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Seat belt and child seat laws by state. October Technical report. How long should my child ride rear—facing? Updated March 6, Epidemiology of child motor vehicle crash injuries and fatalities. Pediatric Injury Biomechanics. Springer, Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for VerywellFamily. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.

These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Current Advice. Why Rear-Facing Is Safer. Dangers of Forward-Facing Too Early. If Your Child Cries. Parents can buy more than one base for additional vehicles. This means the seat can be used longer by your child.

Convertible seats are bulkier than infant seats, however, and they do not come with carrying handles or separate bases and are designed to stay in the car. Many have higher limits in rear-facing weight up to 40—50 pounds and height than those of rear-facing— only seats, a feature that makes convertible seats ideal for bigger babies and toddlers. Have a 5-point harness that attaches at the shoulders, at the hips, and between the legs.

Should be used only for a child's travel not sleeping, feeding, or any other use outside the vehicle. All-in-one seats used rear facing Can be used rear facing, forward facing, or as a belt- positioning booster.

This means the seat may be used longer by your child as your child grows. Are often bigger in size, so it is important to check that they fit in the vehicle while they are rear facing. Do not have the convenience of a carrying handle or separate base; however, they may have higher limits in rear-facing weight up to 40—50 pounds and height than those of rear-facing—only seats, a feature that makes all-in-one seats ideal for bigger babies and toddlers.

Installation tips for rear-facing seats Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat.

When using a rear-facing seat, keep the following tips in mind: Place the harnesses in your rear-facing seat in slots that are at or below your child's shoulders. Ensure that the harness is snug you cannot pinch any slack between your fingers when testing the harness straps over the child's shoulders and that the chest clip is placed at the center of the chest, even with your child's armpits.

Make sure the car safety seat is installed tightly in the vehicle with either lower anchors or a locked seat belt. Many car safety seats have an integrated lock-off system to keep the seat belt locked.

If your seat has one, follow the manufacturer's recommendations on how to use it. If you can move the seat at the belt path more than an inch side to side or front to back, it's not tight enough. Never place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active front passenger airbag. If the airbag inflates, it will hit the back of the car safety seat, right against your child's head, and could cause serious injury or death.

If you are using a convertible or all-in-one seat in the rear-facing position, make sure the seat belt or lower anchor webbing is routed through the correct belt path. Check the instructions that came with the car safety seat to be sure.

Make sure the seat is at the correct angle so your child's head does not flop forward. Check the instructions to find out the correct angle for your seat and how to adjust the angle if needed. All rear-facing seats have built-in recline indicators. Check the car safety seat instructions and vehicle owner's manual about whether the car safety seat may contact the back of the vehicle seat in front of it.

Still having trouble? Check with a certified CPST in your area who can help. Common questions What if my child's feet touch the back of the vehicle seat? This is a very common concern of parents, but it should cause them no worry. Children are very flexible and can always easily find a comfortable position in a rear-facing seat. Injuries to the legs are very rare for children facing the rear.

What do I do if my child slouches down or to the side in the car seat? You can try placing a tightly rolled receiving blanket on both sides of your child.

Many manufacturers allow the use of a tightly rolled small diaper or cloth between the crotch strap and your child, if necessary, to prevent slouching.

Do not place padding under or behind your child or use any sort of car safety seat insert unless it came with the seat or was made by the manufacturer for use with that specific seat.

Why should I dress my child in thinner layers of clothing before strapping him or her into a car safety seat? Bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, can compress in a crash and leave the straps too loose to restrain your child, leading to increased risk of injury.

Ideally, dress your baby in thinner layers and wrap a coat or blanket around your baby over the buckled harness straps if needed. Do preemies need a special car seat? These include all-in-one seats. Combination seats with harness: Seats can be used forward facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds depending on the model or without the harness as a booster up to — pounds, depending on the model.

Integrated seats: Some vehicles come with built-in forward-facing seats. Weight and height limits vary. Do not use a built-in seat until your child has reached the highest weight or height allowed for your rear-facing convertible car safety seat. Travel vests: Vests can be worn by children 22 to pounds and can be an option to traditional forward- facing seats.

They are useful for when a vehicle has lap-only seat belts in the rear, for children with certain special needs, or for children whose weight has exceeded that allowed by car safety seats.

These vests usually require use of a top tether. Installation tips for forward-facing seats Always read the vehicle owner's manual and the car safety seat manual before installing the seat. To switch a convertible or all-in-one seat from rear-facing to forward-facing: Move the harness shoulder straps to the slots or position that is at or just above your child's shoulders. Check the instructions that came with the seat to be sure you are positioning the shoulder straps correctly.

You may have to adjust the recline angle of the seat so that it sits more upright in your vehicle. Check the instructions to be sure. If using a seat belt, make sure it runs through the forward-facing belt path be sure to follow car safety seat instructions and that the seat belt is locked and tightened.

Many car safety seats have an integrated lock-off to keep the seat belt locked. If using the lower anchors, make sure that the weight of your child plus the weight of the seat does not exceed 65 pounds. Most seats now state in the manual and on the stickers on the side the maximum child weight to use the anchors. If the child weighs too much, caregivers must use the seat belt to install. Always use the tether when you can. A tether is a strap that is attached to the top part of a car safety seat and holds the seat tightly by connecting to an anchor point in your vehicle often on the seat back or rear shelf; see your vehicle owner's manual to find where tether anchors are in your vehicle.

Tethers give important extra protection by keeping the car safety seat and your child's head from moving too far forward in a crash or sudden stop. All new cars, minivans, and light trucks are required to have tether anchors as of September Forward-facing seats come with tether straps.

A tether should always be used as long as your child has not reached the top weight limit for the tether anchor. If absolutely necessary, a child in a forward-facing seat with a harness may be the best choice to ride in front. Just be sure the vehicle seat is moved as far back away from the dashboard and airbag as possible.

As a general guideline, a child has outgrown a forward-facing seat when any of the following situations is true: He reaches the top weight or height allowed for his seat with a harness. These limits are listed on the seat and in the instruction manual. His shoulders are above the top harness slots. Types of booster seats High-back and backless are 2 standard types of booster seats. Watch the video: How to Use a Booster Seat If your booster seat has lower anchors or tether attachments, check its manual for installation instructions.

What is the difference between high-back boosters and backless boosters? High-back boosters should be used in vehicles without headrests or with low seat backs. Many seats that look like high-back boosters are actually combination seats. They come with harnesses that can be used for smaller children and, later, removed for older children. Backless boosters are usually less expensive and are easier to move from one vehicle to another. Backless boosters can be used safely in vehicles with headrests and high seat backs.

The lap belt is low and snug across the upper thighs, not the belly. Your child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle seat back with her knees bent over the edge of the seat without slouching and can comfortably stay in this position throughout the trip. This leaves the upper body unprotected and adds extra slack to the seat belt system, putting your child at risk of severe injury in a crash or with sudden braking.

All passengers must have their own car safety seats or seat belts. Common question I've seen products that say they can help make the seat belt fit better. Should we get one of these?

No, these products are unapproved and should not be used. They may actually interfere with proper seat belt fit by causing the lap belt to ride too high on the stomach or making the shoulder belt too loose. They can even damage the seat belt. This rule applies to car safety seats too; do not use extra products unless they came with the seat or are specifically approved by the seat manufacturer.

The biggest change? The AAP now recommends that kids should stay rear-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight that the car seat manufacturer allows. Most convertible car seats have rear-facing weight limits up to at least 40 pounds.