Driver and Passenger Safety
22
General Guidelines for
Using Child Seats
The following pages give general
guidelines for selecting and
installing child seats for infants
and small children.
Selecting a Child Seat
To provide proper protection,
a child seat should meet three
requirements:
1. The child seat should meet
safety standards. The child
seat should meet Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
213 (
FMVSS 213). Look for
the manufacturer’s statement
of compliance on the box and
seat.
2. The child seat should be of
the proper type and size to fit
the child.
Infants: Children up to about one
year old should be restrained in a
rear-facing, reclining child seat.
Only a rear-facing seat provides
the proper support to protect an
infant’s head, neck, and back. See
page 26 for additional information
on protecting infants.
Small Children: A child who is
too large for a rear-facing child
seat, and who can sit up without
support, should be restrained in a
forward-facing child seat. See
page 31 for additional information
on protecting small children.
3. The child seat should fit the
vehicle seating position (or
positions) where it will be
used.
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