Installing a Car Seat: The Most Common Mistakes
The product is rarely the problem; it's the installation that is.
Studies on car seats consistently show the same thing: the product itself is rarely the problem; it’s the installation that is. These are the areas where things most often go wrong.
The seat belts are too loose
There should be no more than the width of a flat hand between the seatbelt and the chest. Thick winter coats make that impossible; take it off and use it as a blanket over your child.
The support leg or Top Tether is missing
They aren't there for extra stability, but to absorb the tilting motion. Without them, the chair is measurably less stable.
Too early to look ahead
Riding in a rear-facing position remains mandatory until at least fifteen months of age, and doing so for longer is demonstrably safer. See “i-Size Explained.”
To find out which car seat is right for a child of a certain height, see " Which Car Seat for Which Age."
