Babies and Little Kids Safety

Children should use rear-facing car seats in the back seat as long as possible, even up to age 4. Be sure to stay within rear-facing height and weight limits for the seat. When your child outgrows the rear-facing seat, use a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether in the back seat.

Start your child in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat

Experts recommend keeping children rear-facing up to age 4

If your child outgrows their car seat before age 4, change to a seat with higher rear-facing weight and height limits

Leg crowding is expected and does not harm the child

Small children are more vulnerable and likely to be injured if forward facing

A rear‐facing car seat cradles your child and absorbs crash forces, reducing harm to neck and spine.

When your child outgrows the rear-facing seat, use a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether in the back seat
Use a Car Seat with a harness and tether until at least age 5, or until they reach the upper height and weight limits for the harness

Harnesses spread crash forces over strong parts of the body, keeping the child’s body properly positioned in a crash
The tether limits head injuries by reducing car seat movement in a crash