We follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for car seat safety. The AAP guidelines are even more stringent than Texas state law; because child safety is our top priority, we follow their recommendations.
Rear facing car seat guidelines
Keep your child rear facing until they outgrow the factory limits (usually 35 lbs) and are older than 2 years (must meet both criteria)
Forward facing car seat guidelines
Keep your child forward facing in 5-point harness until they reach max harness weight (varies per manufacturer) – most kids are 6 years or older.
Remember, no aftermarket products are considered safe to add to a car seat unless they are produced by the car seat manufacturer. Aftermarket products include seat strap pads, neck support, or pillows. These products are considered NOT SAFE and should not be used.
Keep child in booster seat until taller than 4’ 9” (144 cm) AND at least 80 lbs. – many children are 10 years or older.
Vehicle seat belt alone and front vs back seat
Vehicle seat belt alone
To ride without a booster, children/teens should pass The 5-Step Test. To pass this test, children/teens should be able to do all the following:
If the child/teen can do all of these, he/she can ride using the vehicle seat belt alone.
Front vs back seat
Rules for sitting in the front vs back seat are determined by age, height, and weight.
Those under 13 years of age, need to sit in the back seat. Once the teen is 13 years and 5 feet tall (60 inches, 152 cm) and 100 lbs, he/she can move to the front seat.
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