Function

• Car seats for infants and young children are designed to help protect them from injury during a car crash. Each of the 50 states, and nearly every country in the world have varying laws on child safety seats. However, the one uniform trend is that they all require all children under a certain age and weight limit be secured in a seat. However, it is illegal everywhere in the U.S. to ride with a child unsecured in a seat, or with someone holding a child. These laws have been designed to keep children secure in one location in the car and prevent as much injury as possible should an accident occur.
  
  

Car Seat Rules

• All 50 states mandate that until your child reaches the age of one, and until your child reaches at least 20 pounds, they should be in a rear-facing infant seat, preferably in the middle of the back seat. This is considered the safest place in the car for an infant, should there be a side-impact crash.
  
  Once your child is able to move into a larger seat, you can have them forward facing and in the back passenger or driver-side. It is illegal in all 50 states to place any young child in the front seat. As your child grows older, check with your local state guidelines on what age and size your child must legally be in order to ride safely in a booster seat, and ultimately with just a seat belt.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Some parents believe that any car seat will do. However, parents need to remember that safety standards change constantly. Car seats are required to have an expiration date printed on them, which is usually 6 years from the date it was manufactured. So, while you may want to save that car seat for your next child, you should also be sure to check the newest safety standards and the expiration date for that car seat. Also be sure that the seat does not have any cracks or is damaged in any way, as well as check to see if the seat has been recalled (see Resources section for NHTSA link).
  
  

Considerations

• While all seats are manufactured to relatively the same standards, there are noticeable differences when shopping for a car seat. Some seats have a larger weight limit and can be utilized for a longer period of time. However, most infant seats can only be used until your child reaches 25 pounds. Many seats designed for toddlers can handle 20-50 pounds, and some may even adjust to handle up to 65 pounds.
  
  If you are moving to a different state, or visiting a different state, you should always check the state laws and requirements for car seats. What is a standard in one state, may not be ok in another. For instance, some states may require all children under the age of 5 to be in a booster or child seat. While other states may only have that requirement for children under the age of 4.
  
  

Significance

• Parents should also make sure that the car seat they use meets federal standards. All infant and child safety seats must meet U.S. Federal Safety regulations. Purchasing or using a baby seat in a foreign country may not meet the safety standards required in the U.S. To see if your seat meets these regulations, you can check with the manufacturer of your baby seat.
  
  Car seats are credited with saving thousands of children's lives a year. Crash tests have shown that infants and children properly secured in a seat during a crash have survived and had less injuries than children who were not.