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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that all children 12 and under be restrained in the rear seat. Researchers estimate that putting a child in the back seat instead of the front reduces the chance of injury and death by more than 30%, whether or not the car has a passenger air bag. The center of the back seat is the farthest away from a possible side impact, so we always try first to install a safety seat there.

The safest seat is one that fits your child, fits your vehicle, and one that you will use correctly each and every time. Car seats with a 5 pt. harness offer the best protection (visit CPSafety to learn why). Car-Safety.Org has a great guide to buying a carseat.

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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommends that all children 12 and under be restrained in the rear seat. Researchers estimate that putting a child in the back seat instead of the front reduces the chance of injury and death by more than 30%, whether or not the car has a passenger air bag. The center of the back seat is the farthest away from a possible side impact, so we always try first to install a safety seat there.

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. The back seat has always been safer, even before there were air bags. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted a study of children who died in crashes in the front and back seats of vehicles, very few of which had passenger air bags. The study concluded that placing children in the back reduces the risk of death in a crash by 27 percent, whether or not a child is restrained.

The safest child safety seat is one that will "fit" your child, that is comfortable, that "fits" in your car, the seat is used all the time and it is affordable.

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.

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.

No. The safety standard does not require that both systems be used together. Child restraints are tested to ensure compliance with Federal safety standards when (1) attached to a vehicle using the LATCH system, and (2) attached using the vehicle belt system without LATCH. The LATCH system was designed to make child safety seat installation easier, without using seat belts. Yes, as long as it does not interfere with a secure fit of the child safety seat and correct installation.

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.

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.

The answer may be surprising. Most people believe that hand washing is better. Two university studies and thousands of professional car washers, including ECO, know the answer. Automatic washing with 100% soft cloth is far superior to hand washing.

Most airlines accept car seats in addition to normal carry on or checked luggage provided approved space is available. When checking your car seat on a US Domestic or International flight you can bring your car seat to the gate to be loaded there. If checking a car seat as luggage the original box/packaging should be used. A liability release form must be signed.

Unfortunately, there is no escape-proof car seat. Children who learn how to get out of one kind of car seat quickly learn how to escape from others. However, based on a study in which SafetyBeItSafe U.S.A. participated, most children respond to parental firmness quickly. For the others, there is hope! First, make sure that the shoulder straps are in the correct slots, that the harness is very snug, and that the retainer clip is in place at armpit level.