Where is the safest spot in your car for your car seat? (2024)

FAQs

Where is the safest spot in your car for your car seat? ›

The safest place for your child's car seat is in the back seat, away from active air bags. Air bags in the front seat are made to protect the head and face of an adult-sized person in a seat belt. If you place the car seat in the front seat and the air bag inflates, it can be dangerous.

The center of the back seat is statistically the safest place in the car. Research from real crashes shows that the center is safest – particularly because you can't take a direct impact in the center. One study of kids 0-3 years old found that kids sitting in the center are 43% safer than those sitting on the side.

1) Rear Middle: The Safest Spot!

Although statistically this is the safest location, we know it might not always be very practical or even possible because of the size of the seat or the lack of a seat belt or ISOFIX points of your vehicle.

Safety: The most critical factor is to ensure the car seat is installed correctly and securely. Follow the manufacturer's instructions and the car's owner's manual for guidance. Both rear-facing and forward-facing car seats can be safely installed behind the driver or passenger seat.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recommends that all children under the age of 13 ride in the back seat, ideally in the center.

Current California Law:

​Children under the age of 8 must be secured in a car seat or booster seat in the back seat.

Another reason the passenger seat behind the driver may be the safest is that the driver is likely to instinctively react to protect themselves in emergencies. Thus, the driver may unconsciously protect the driver's side more than the passenger's side, and with it, the passenger behind them more than passengers.

Additionally, when you have multiple kids, they can't all be in the center seat. Putting the seats next to each other is fine, but they can't affect each other's install at all and they can't share lower anchors.

A study published in Pediatrics, showed for children newborn to 3 years old and all installs being equal, sitting in the center rear seat is 43% safer than sitting on the side in the back. The rear center position will be the furthest from any impact in any type of crash.

They are equally safe when you are able to get a tight instal with whichever you use. The middle seat can cause instal problems because they sometimes are more narrow, can have a hump or other weird shape on the seat or are sometimes more narrow (front to back) and cause too much overhang.

Which side of car does baby seat go? ›

If the middle rear seat has a three-point (lap and diagonal) seat belt, this is the safest place to put a child restraint (unless the manufacturer's instructions say one of the other seats is better) because it is the furthest away from the sides of the car.

Therefore, sitting behind the driver in the back seat can at least slightly reduce the risk of injury in a traffic collision. Additionally, the driver is instinctually prone to protect their side of the vehicle, so siding on the left can be beneficial.

The law states that passengers and the operator must wear a safety helmet while operating in an ROV. At this time, legislation does not allow a child seat to be a substitute for the requirement of the use of a helmet. May I install aftermarket seats in my ROV? Yes.

A rear-facing car seat will absorb most of the crash forces and supports the head, neck and spine. When children ride forward-facing, their heads - which for toddlers are disproportionately large and heavy - are thrown forward, possibly resulting in spine and head injuries.