Q. Outgrow his/her infant carrier? A. When he or she has less than one inch of hard plastic above his or her head the seat is outgrown by height, regardless of the stated height limit on the seat. This is because children carry their height differently: some in their legs, some in their torsos.
The seat is outgrown by weight when the child reaches the weight limit listed on the seat.
Q: Move to a rear-facing convertible? A. Whenever you are comfortable doing so, provided the convertible seat is a good fit for your child. The lowest set of harness slots should be at or below your child's shoulders.
A. Around 18-36 months (30+ lbs.), depending on how your child grows. The longer your child is rear-facing, the safer your child is. Be sure to choose a convertible seat with a high rear-facing weight limit (33+ lbs) and a tall seat shell to accommodate this goal.
A rear facing seat is outgrown when:
the weight limit is reached OR there is less than one inch of seat shell above the child's head, regardless of standing height.
Q: Move from a five-point harness to a belt-positioning booster seat? A. Not before your child is BOTH four years old AND forty pounds at minimum. A five point harness is much safer than the seat belt, so when choosing your convertible seat look for one with a higher weight limit (55+ lbs), a tall seat shell and tall harness slots.
A forward-facing harnessed seat is outgrown when the child:
A. reaches the weight limit, OR B. the child's shoulders are above the top harness slots OR C. the child's ears are above the seat shell.
Q: Move to the vehicle seat belt only? A. Not before 8-12 years of age. However, seat belt readiness is based on height, not age or even weight.
A child may safely use the adult seat belt alone when you can answer "Yes" to all of the following questions:
If you answer "No" to any of these questions, your child must be in a booster seat:
1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Is the lap belt touching the top of the thighs, not the tummy?
4. Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?
BELT-POSITIONING BOOSTERS CAN NOT be used with only a lap belt!
(See your car dealer for a lap/shoulder belt retrofit.)
Q: What does "three across" mean?
A. "Three across" refers to fitting three child safety seats across a single vehicle seat.