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.

Keep children Rear-Facing up to Age 4 in a Seat That Fits Their Height and Weight

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

Why?

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.

Keep Children in Car Seats with Harnesses Until at Least Age 5

  • 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

Why?

  • 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

View our interactive child passenger safety guide