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.

Please consult the owner's manual of your carseat. For most carseats, this is not a problem and may actually improve safety. At least one carseat, the Century Smart Move, does require the seat to be able to rotate freely toward the back of the vehicle in a crash. Best practice from the NHTSA training manual states, "A rear-facing seat can be installed so it rests against the back of the vehicle seat ahead if not counter to manufacturers instructions...

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

Some Touaregs come with cup holders for the rear seats, and some do not. At first, it seemed that only V8 Touaregs included these cup holders, but recent reports indicate that some V6 models do included them as well. Touareg owners who did not get the cup holders have reported that they have been able to obtain them and have a dealer install them. We suspect that there was a cost associated with this upgrade.

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:

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.

Yes. If your car has a roll cage the delete kit can be notched out to accommodate most roll bars. If the roll cage connects to the rear passenger floor area, the front half of the delete kit will not have to be modified. If the roll cage connects to the metal beam that the rear seat used to sit on, the front half of the kit will need to be notched out as well as the back.

You will have to purchase an optional headrest shroud. Installation instructions are included with the unit. Please follow the procedure in page 2 and page 3 of the installation guide.

The best location for your car seat is in the middle of the backseat. If you can't get a good fit there (the seat moves less than 1" when tugged at the belt path) then either outboard position in the back is safe. Children under the age of 13 should always ride in the back seat. NEVER put a rear-facing seat in front of an airbag.

I use a respirator but I still wonder if I could be harming myself. What do you think? You are right to be careful. Here's rest of our response...

Currently the gogo kidz only works with the Britax car seats; however we have a new model that will be released in late June/July that will accommodate other major brand car seats.

Yes. In fact, in a car with two air bags, riding in the front seat could be deadly for your baby, even in a very low-speed crash. NEVER, EVER put a rear-facing baby in front of an air bag. The rear-facing baby's skull could be fractured as the air bag (not yet inflated) explodes from the dashboard at 200 miles per hour. In a car with no air bag in front, the back seat is still safer, since it is farther from the action in a frontal crash -which is the most common and most severe kind.

Every third Thursday of the month, from 10:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M., Bend Fire offers free help to install your child car seat correctly. The clinic is held at 1212 SW Simpson Avenue.

The middle of the back seat is considered the safest position for a child in a car. This position is furthest from any possible point of impact.

No. Isaac®can be used with any racing seat provided it has normal, three-inch wide belts. A more reclined angle allows more body motion forward, regardless of the head and neck product you use, but does not alter the general range of head and neck loads. Also, it works great with an office chair! Just attach some belts to the chair and jump in with your helmet and Isaac® for some great holiday party fun.

Many parents think their children are too big for car seats or have outgrown their booster seats. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that children should be restrained in a booster seat until they are 4'9" and about 80 pounds. Regular seat belts are made for men who are 5'10" and 160 pounds. They are not designed to secure a child under 80 pounds. Yes, this quite possibly means that your 10 year old should still be in a booster seat!

The truth is, there is not a "best" car seat. The best style of seat is one with a five-point harness system. Other than that, find a car seat that fits your car, your child and your budget. Remember that spending more does not always equal a safer seat.

This depends on the state you live in. Generally, we like to recommend a rear-facing infant seat until 12-15 months of age, and then a rear-facing seat until 3 or 4 years of age, depending on your child's height and weight. After that, you can move to a front-facing seat or a booster until at least 7 years of age. Check your state's seatbelt laws here for more detailed information.

Yes, a lot of babies with reflux actually sleep better like this, because it keeps them in an upright postion allowing for better digestion and less reflux. However, consult your child's doctor before making any sleep decisions that don't involve the child sleeping on his/her back on firm mattress free of loose objects, blankets, pillows, etc..

For front-facing child seats, or if you don't have a passenger-side airbag: you can if you want, but as always, the safest place by far is in the back. For rear-facing child seats, and if your car has a passenger-side airbag: the one-word answer is "No" (the two-word answer is "Definitely Not"). The reason for this is that an airbag can suddenly push the child seat up and back with a lot of force, which will likely throw the baby from the seat and cause injury.

No. The Rear Window system is designed so that the captions are visible (via reflectors) from any seat in the theater. The reflectors are completely portable and designed to attach to any theater seat. However, depending on the size or layout of the theater and the location of the caption display, some seats may offer better viewing angles than others. Seats in the middle of the theater will generally offer the best view of Rear Window captions.