More tips for safer seating

Safe Seat Installation Helpful Tips

Location, location.
The safest place for a child is in your vehicle's rear-center seat. The car seat should never be installed on a front seat that has an air bag. Two exceptions: If your car doesn't have a back seat, or if your child has a medical condition that requires constant monitoring, you can have an on/off switch installed for the front-passenger air bag or have it disconnected so the child's car seat can go next to the driver. But to have that done you'll need a letter of authorization from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To obtain one, contact the agency via its Web site, www.nhtsa.gov.

In my family we are big on hand me downs. And it is so great in most cases. For an infant car seat it's suggested that you insist on new. There are a ton of baby items you can borrow or buy secondhand, don't make a car seat one of them if you can avoid it. A used seat may have been in a crash or recalled. The manufacturer's instructions may be missing. If, for some reason, you must use a secondhand seat, avoid those with an unknown history or that are older than 6 years. In the world of car seats, a 6-year-old model is a relic--and risky. You'll also want to avoid recalled models. You can check for recalled models at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls.

Source for this article:
ConsumerReports.org
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/babies-kids/baby-toddler/travel-gear/car-seats/car-seats-4-07/tips-for-safer-seating/0704_car-seats_tips-for-safer-seating.htm