Seats & Harnesses
Now that you know why child seats are so ineffective in real world crashes, one must understand the types of child seats that are available to consumers to determine if better education,
testing, resources and vehicle compatibility would make a difference.
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Types of Safety Seats
Child seats are specifically designed to protect children within certain weight, height, physical and
developmental parameters. Some seats only accommodate infants, while others protect older toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children, as well as children with special needs. The following is a brief description of the types of safety seats currently available.
| |  | |  | | Infant-only. These seats are designed to be used from birth until 20 to 22 pounds (depending on the model) or until the top of the child’s head is within one inch of the top of the seat shell, whichever occurs first. An infant only seat must never be used forward facing. 
Convertible. Before the weight or height limit of an infant
only seat has been reached, the child should be switched to a convertible seat, generally to continue rear-facing. Weight limits for rear and forward-facing. vary by seat model, but all models can be used only until a child weights 40 pounds. Convertible seats are so
named because they can face either direction. The safer, rear facing position is recommended for as long as possible.
Built-in seats. A forward-facing seat with a full internal
harness that fits children at least 1 year old and more than 20 pounds may be part of the vehicle seat design. Some vehicles have a built-in belt-positioning booster which may be used by children at least 3 years old who weigh at least 30 to 50 pounds, depending on the manufacturer’s recommendations. | | Booster Seats are available in two types:
A:)Removable-shield boosters, which are not recommended unless the shield is removed and the base alone is used with a shoulder/lap belt and
B:) Belt-positioning boosters, which come in two styles: high back and backless
Belt positioning booster seats are designed to be used with the vehicle shoulder/lap belt, elevating the child so the safety belt fits properly over the thighs and
shoulders (rather than the abdomen and neck). A belt positioning booster is not recommended until a child is at least 3 years old and weights 30-40 pounds. Children are generally safest using safety seats with full harness systems until they are more than 40 pounds or their shoulders are above the top harness slots of both convertible and combination child seat/booster seats.  Combination Child Seat/Booster. Some child safety
seats are designed to function as a forward-facing seat with an internal harness when a child is under 40 pounds and then as a belt-positioning booster (with the harness removed) when the child reaches 40 pounds. Both lower and upper weight limits vary among models
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There is no debate about this fact: rear facing is safest for both adults and children, but especially for babies. Rear facing car seats spread frontal crash forces over the whole area of a baby's back, head and neck; they also prevent the head from snapping relative to
the body in a frontal crash. Rear facing child seats also allow for a longer ride-down period so that there is less energy transferred to the child. Hence, parents should keep their children in rear facing child seats for as long as possible. Some rear facing child seats have a 35 lb. maximum weight. A child is too tall for a rear facing child seat when the top of his head is at the level of the child seat shell. In Sweden, children often remain in rear facing child seats
through age four.
There are four basic designs of internal harness systems that secure children in their safety seats. If the seat meets or exceeds all applicable U.S. Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, then the type of harness chosen becomes a matter of personal
preference, although most child seat passenger safety experts agree that the five point harness
generally provides the best protection for the widest range of children.
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