Child Safety Seat Basics

Nearly 80% of child safety seats are used incorrectly! The two minutes you take each time you buckle up your child correctly can save their life. The Utah Safety Council offers car seat inspection to help with your children's safety, by appointment only. Please contact Kaitly Allen, Home and Community Program Manager at 801.746.SAFE (7233) ext. 312 to schedule your appointment.

More information about child safety seats for different ages.

• Infants
• Toddlers
• Booster Seats
• Older Children
• Information about Utah's Booster Seat Law

Infants

• For the best possible protection all infants should be restrained rear-facing in the back seat. There are two types of rear facing car seats: infant seats and convertible seats. Generally, infant seats are designed for children from 5 pounds to about 20 pounds and convertible seats are designed for children from 5 pounds to about 35 pounds rear-facing.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children remain rear facing as long as possible until they have reached the maximum height and weight limits of the car seat (check your seat's manufacturer instructions for exact weight limits) or at about age two. At minimum, children less than one year and less than 20 pounds must be restrained rear-facing in the car.
• Children are 5.32 times safer riding rear-facing into the second year of life (until their 2nd birthday).
• Children under age 2 are 75% less likely to sustain a serious injury when rear-facing, regardless of the direction of the crash (frontal impact, side impact, etc).
• Lower extremity injuries in crashes are less common than 1/1,000 children. Whether the child is rear-facing or forward-facing, the risk of lower extremity injury remains the same.
• Some infants will reach the weight or height limit of the infant seat, but are still not ready to face forward in the vehicle. In this situation, the child should be restrained rear facing in a convertible seat designed to hold children up to 35 pounds rear facing. More and more convertible seats are being made to accommodate higher weight limits rear-facing. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Adjust the seat so that the child is reclining at about a 30-45 degree angle. Each car seat will have an angle indicator that will help you determine the correct angle for that seat.
• Harness straps should be in the slots at or below the infant's shoulders and should fit snugly against the child.
• Place the retainer clip at armpit level to keep the harness strap on the baby's shoulders.
• Never place an infant in a front seat with a passenger-side airbag.
• Harness baby in snugly and then cover the baby with a blanket.
• Make sure the seat is installed tightly. A child safety seat should not move more than one inch side to side at the belt path.
• Always use a federally approved child safety seat and not a regular household carrier.

Toddlers

• When children outgrow their rear-facing car seat they should be restrained in a forward facing car seat in the back seat (at a minimum age of 1 year and 20 pounds).
• Most forward-facing car seats are for children between 20 and 40 pounds. More and more forward-facing car seats are being made with higher harness weight limits, some up to 65 pounds. Read the manufacturer's instructions to check your seat's guidelines.
• A forward-facing seat must have the harness straps in the harness slots at or slightly above the child's shoulders and should fit snugly against the child.
• Place the retainer clip at armpit level to keep the harness strap on the child's shoulders.
• Built-in safety seats are federally approved and safe for children over 20 pounds and 12 months (make sure to check manufacturer instructions for exact age, weight and height requirements).
• Always make sure the seat is installed tightly. A child safety seat should not move more than one inch side to side at the belt path.

Booster Seats

• When children outgrow their forward-facing car seats, generally around age 4 and 40 pounds, they should be restrained in a booster seat.
• Booster seats are for children between 40 and 100 pounds and under 4'9” tall. Always check the manufacturer's instructions for the height and weight requirements for your particular seat.
• In Utah, children under age 8 are required by law to be in a child safety seat or a booster seat.
• Booster seats are designed to be used with a lap and shoulder belt combination. Do not use a booster seat with a lap belt only seat belt. 
• If you have lap belt only seatbelts, or are not ready to put your child in a booster seat only, check out these alternatives to boosters for children over 40 pounds. 
• There are two types of booster seats: high-back belt positioning boosters and no-back belt positioning boosters. High-back boosters are generally used for children between 30 and 100 pounds and must be used if the vehicle has a low seat back to provide head protection for the child. No-back boosters are typically used for children 40 to 100 pounds. Always check the manufacturer's instructions for your booster seat's height and weight requirements as they may vary from seat to seat.

Older Children

• When children have outgrown their booster seats (When they have reached 4'9'' tall, usually between ages 8 and 12) they should use a safety belt in the back seat.
• Older children are ready to use vehicle safety belts when their knees bend comfortably over the vehicle seat, the lap belt stays low and sung across the hips, and the shoulder belt lies on the shoulder/collarbone and does not cross the face or in the front of the neck. If the child can sit this way for the entire trip, they are ready for the seat belt.
• Never allow a child to put the shoulder belts behind their back or under their arm.
• All children 12 and under should be restrained in the back seat.