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Common Misuse with
Rear-Facing Car Seats
Are you using your child’s safety seat correctly? More than 50% of rear-facing car seats are improperly installed and used. We’re sharing the most common errors with rear-facing car seats, and how to avoid them.
Harness Adjustment & Fit
Follow the general methods below to obtain a proper harness fit, and don’t forget to refer to your car seat instruction manual for more information.
- Place the child with their back and bottom against the back of the car seat.
- Adjust the harness height. For rear-facing seats, harness straps should go through the slots at or below the child’s shoulders.
- Buckle the harness and the chest clip. Make sure the harness straps lie flat and aren’t twisted. Tighten until snug. (Tip: The harness is snug when you cannot pinch any extra material at the shoulder). Learn more.
- Place the retainer clip at armpit level.
- If there are multiple buckle strap positions, adjust per the car seat instruction manual. The buckle strap should be close to the child’s body but the child should not be sitting on the strap.
Source: National Child Passenger Safety Board.
Common Misuses with Other Child Safety Seats
