‘You can’t jam it in’: The car-seat mistake you’re probably making

Parents who are wedging their baby's car seat up against the seat in front could be placing their children at risk, a child safety expert has warned.

Kathy Taylor, GM of Child Car Restraints at KidSafe Victoria, told Drive there is a common misconception about how rear-facing child car seats should be installed.

"Any rear-facing child seat shouldn’t be touching the front seats at all [because] they must be able to have movement," Taylor told Drive.

"We have parents who jam it up against [the front seat] thinking the tighter the fit, the safer it is. But the part of the child restraint where the child’s head is needs to have a slight amount of movement to absorb any impact, so the child doesn’t."

Taylor said the standards may vary depending on the brand of car seat you use, so it's wise to consult the manufacturer's guidelines when installing.

"Some types of [rear-facing] car seats are able to touch the seat in front, but you certainly shouldn't [ever] jam it in. Always follow the manufacturer's guidelines to see what they suggest."

There is also a common misconception that child seats shouldn't be installed in the middle seat as it's perceived as 'less secure' given there is no seat in front, but this is not the case.

"The middle seat is definitely a viable place if the child restraint fits correctly in the narrow middle seat," Taylor explained.

In fact, any rear seating position is viable (including third-row seats) as long as your child restraint fits in the seat, has the required top-tether anchorage point and can be securely installed.

No – both ISOFIX and seatbelts are the same safety-wise, Taylor said.

"In fact, depending on seating position within the vehicle, we can sometimes get a better fitment with a seatbelt than ISOFIX," she added.

"We talk about 'best fit', which means the child restraint is compatible with the vehicle, it's firm at the base, and the seat is compatible with the anchorage points supplied – whether that's a seatbelt or ISOFIX," Taylor told Drive.

"You should be checking your car seat every time you travel."

Susannah Guthrie has been a journalist for over a decade, covering everything from world news to fashion, entertainment, health and now cars. Having previously worked across titles like The New Daily, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, People Magazine and Cosmopolitan, Susannah now relishes testing family cars with the help of her husband and three-year-old son.

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