There is no single safest child safety seat for all children and vehicles. The safest seat is one that fits your child, fits your vehicle and one you will use correctly each and every time. Please also see:

The center of the rear seat is usually safest since it is farthest from a possible side impact, but only if your carseat fits well in that position. Any position in the rear seat is acceptable unless prohibited by the vehicle or child seat owner's manual.

FM-200 is the safest for people, planet and equipment. It is the best solution for clean fire systems.

Many manufacturers now put "expiration" dates on their carseats. Six (6) years is the general recommendation. At most, 10 years is the accepted maximum lifetime of a carseat. The reasons for these limits involve possible degradation of the plastic shell and other parts, the possible loss/breakage of parts and the fact that older seats will often not meet current government safety standards.

The general recommendation is NO. You must replace it and destroy the old one so it can never be used again. Some insurance companies will re-imburse for carseats involved in a crash, and they are required by law to do so in some states. Please call the manufacturer of your carseat if you have any questions. You should also contact your car dealer after a crash, as it is very likely that the seatbelts, LATCH/Tether anchors and integrated child seats may also need to be replaced.

Grab your carseat at the base, where the seatbelt goes. The base should not move more than an inch (1") side-to-side or front-to-back. Some movement at the top of the seat is normal, though a tether will reduce this movement in forward-facing carseats. Ideally, you want the child coupled as tightly as possible to the harness system and carseat, and the carseat coupled as tightly as possible to the vehicle with the seatbelt or LATCH system.

Airbags can be deadly to infants in rear-facing carseats, and to children 12 and under using the seatbelts. The front seat is generally not recommended for children 12 and under. The airbag MUST be disabled if you must use a rear-facing child seat in the front. Some vehicles without a rear seat, especially pickup trucks, have an on/off switch for this purpose. If a child must ride in the front, you should also move the front seat as far back as it will go.

The safest way to thaw meat, poultry, and fish is in the refrigerator. Be sure to place the frozen product in a pan or on a plate to prevent juices from leaking onto shelves. Place the thawing product on the lower most shelf in the refrigerator so that juices do not cross-contaminate clean vegetables and other ready-to-eat foods. Another acceptable thawing method is under cold running water for not more than 2 hours.

Some children can twist out of harnesses at an early age. Others can easily undo the buckle mechanism. Children may also be able to put too much slack in a seatbelt, and some children don't want to use a child restraint or seatbelt at all. Driving is a dangerous activity, and like any other, it requires proper supervision at all times. Parents can try many things.

Children should be in an appropriate safety seat until they are about 8 years old, unless they are already 4 feet, 9 inches or taller. After that, they should be properly seated with a lap and shoulder belt. Children 12 and under should remain in the rear seat. All passengers should wear lap AND shoulder belts at all times. Yes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has many resources. This website is a great starting point:

A 5-point harness is considered safest. T-shields and overhead tray shields may be less safe, especially for small infants. Also see:

LATCH (also ISOFIX) is not necessarily safer than using seatbelts to install a carseat. It may make it easier to get a safe installation. LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. Most newer vehicles and child seats have this system. For more information, see our comprehensive guide:

Tethers are straps that prevent the top of a carseat from moving forward in a crash. They may also increase overall stability. Many newer cars and carseats are compatible with tethers, or can have them installed. Tethers allow newer carseats to meet stricter safety standards. See:

For newborns and infants, it is recommended that they sit in a rear-facing carseat at a 45 degree angle (maximum). Some infant carseats have a built-in level indicator. Older infants should have less recline, once they are able to support their heads. Front-facing carseats should not be reclined. Though some front-facing and convertible models are approved in a semi-reclined position, this recline does concentrate crash forces in the crotch so an upright position is preferred.

You may put a tightly rolled towel or foam pool "noodle" under the front of a rear-facing carseat (near the crack of the vehicle seat) to get the necessary recline. You must not put a noodle, thick towels or any compressible material under a front-facing carseat.

Generally, no. For safety, the harness straps must remain tight on the child's shoulders regardless of any clothing. You can put a blanket over the child, OUTSIDE the harness straps or put your child's coat on backwards after they are in the seat. For infants in cold weather, an aftermarket "cozy" that zips over the infant carrier rather than fitting under the child is another solution.

Please consult the manual for your carseat first. The weight limits are also listed on decals attached to the carseat. Most current infant seats have 20 or 22 pound weight limits, though some models go to 30 or 35 pounds. Most current convertible seats have rear-facing limits of 30, 33 or 35 pounds. All convertibles have 40 pound limits when front-facing, though some new models will have increased front-facing weight limits.

If you are comfortable, it is likely your child is comfortable, too. If you have air conditioning, put it at maximum fan speed and in "Recirculate" mode, and aim some vents toward the rear. If the sun is on your child, put a very thin white towel or receiving blanket over them or put up the canopy in an infant carrier. Put a similar blanket or cover on the carseat if your car is in the sun all day.

First, you MUST check the carseat and vehicle owner's manuals to see if they specifically mention installing the carseat in a seating position with an airbag. Some carseat manufacturers do state that their carseats should not be installed in a spot with an active airbag. In addition, rear-facing carseats should NEVER be placed in a front seat with an active frontal airbag.

A10. Find out if you are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by answering some questions and providing basic income information. Available in English and Spanish

The USDA recommends three ways to defrost turkeys: in the refrigerator, in cold water and in the microwave. Never defrost turkey on the counter or in other locations. It's best to plan ahead for slow, safe thawing in the refrigerator. Allow about 1 day for every 5 pounds of turkey to thaw in the refrigerator. Turkey may be defrosted in cold water in its airtight packaging or in a leak-proof bag. Submerge the bird or cut-up parts in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes.

Compared with other transportation methods, statistics suggest that aviation is a very safe transportation method. All international airlines conform to international safety standards, as specified by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). No airline can be said to be safer than any other; they are all very safe.

Maybe. Integrated carseats, especially those with a harness, may have some disadvantages when used as the primary restraint for a child: Emergency personnel often prefer to remove a child in a separate carseat. This keeps the child immobilized in case of head/spinal injury, and may allow for safer transport in the ambulance. Integrated seats do not function rear-facing. Rear-facing is safest for children, and many separate carseat models allow for rear-facing use to 30 or 35 lbs.

Currently, the best resource for special needs carseats is a local hospital. You should also be able to contact a local fitting station and a certified technician should be able to put you in contact with someone who can direct you to a source for these carseats. These links have additional information:

All carseats currently sold must pass minimum government requirements. Consumer Reports has its own methodology, and does not discuss how they derive their crash test ratings or how their ratings relate to the risk of injury. They also conceal their results in colored circles, which don't tell you exactly how much safer a top-rated model is compared to a lower-rated one.

No. Most rear-facing car seats are not designed to be tethered. The top of the seat will be able to twist and rotate toward the back of the vehicle. This is normal. If the carseat rotates DOWNWARD into the seat cushion significantly, you may try to put your weight on it and install it a bit tighter.

Generally, NO, unless it is specifically mentioned in your manual. In the USA, older Safeline Sit-n-Stroll models and some Britax models may use a tether when rear-facing. You can find some instructions for tethering the Britax models in the Britax Online Instructions. Some additional information on the use of the rear-facing Britax Versa-Tether can be found at this site.

Generally, yes. Though there appears to be no evidence that this is unsafe, at least one company, Evenflo, used to recommend that you do NOT install many of their carseat models in front of a fold-down armrest. Ford has a similar recommendation for some of its vehicles. Please consult the owner's manual of your vehicle and carseat before making this decision.

The child MUST have some type of head support behind the head, to at least the midpoint of the skull, or around the tops of the ears. This head support is provided by infant seats, convertible seats, front-facing only seats with a harness and high back booster seats. If a child is using a backless booster, or is old enough to use the lap/shoulder belts alone, then they should not be seated in a position without a headrest if the midpoint of their head is above the top of the vehicle seat.