user: Article: While both you and your child may be eager to ditch the 5-point harness for a simpler booster seat and seat belt, don’t be in a rush to make the switch. Whatever car seat stage they’re in, keep your child in that seat until their height or weight exceeds the maximum range printed on the seat and in its manual.  Any child under 2 should be in a rear-facing, 5-point harness safety seat. Beyond age 2, keep them in the rear-facing seat until they exceed the seat’s posted height or weight range. Once you switch to a forward-facing, 5-point harness safety seat, keep the child in it until at least age 5 and until they meet the maximum height or weight range. If they reach either maximum before age 5, look for a seat model with higher maximums. After they grow out of the safety seat range, use a booster seat that utilizes the car’s seat belt until the child is at least 12 years old and 57 in (140 cm) tall (at which stage a standard seat belt should fit properly). If a car seat has been in an accident, has exceeded the “expiration date” printed on it, or is more than 6 years old, it should be replaced. Steer clear of used car seats unless you are absolutely sure they don’t meet any of these criteria. If any of the straps or structural elements of the seat look worn or damaged, replace the seat right away, no matter its age. All child seats—rear-facing car seats, front-facing car seats, and booster seats—should always be installed in the back seats of vehicles. Front airbags are designed to protect an average adult male, and the force of their inflation can easily cause serious injury to a child. If your vehicle doesn’t have a back seat and you have no other driving option, consult the owner’s manual on how to temporarily disable the front passenger air bag. This is still more dangerous than a back seat installation, though. Sure, it’s possible that the only thing more boring to read than a car seat manual is a car’s owner’s manual. But read them anyway! It’s absolutely essential that you know exactly how to install the seat in your vehicle.  Even with some helpful standardization requirements, such as the LATCH system for anchoring car seats in place, there can still be quite a bit of brand-specific variation in the installation process. Around half of all car seats currently in use are installed incorrectly, potentially reducing their effectiveness in a crash. If you have a 2002 or newer vehicle (in the U.S.), use the LATCH system anchor points—2 at the base of the seat back, and 1 that’s behind and either above or below the back seat—to secure the car seat. Find the 3 straps with metal clips on the backside of the car seat, and clip each one securely onto its corresponding LATCH anchor point.   Rear-facing car seats may have only 2 anchor straps. If so, anchor them to the 2 LATCH points at the base of the back seat. If you have a pre-2002 vehicle, use the seat and vehicle manuals to guide you through the process of using the vehicle’s seat belt to secure the car seat. You’ll most likely feed the seat belt buckle through designated slots on either side of the car seat’s back, then buckle and tighten the seat belt. Once you’ve secured the clip on each anchoring strap to its corresponding LATCH anchor, put one of your knees onto the car seat to press it down tight. Then, pull on the loose end of each strap with full force to tighten each one as much as you can. After you lift your knee, the anchored seat shouldn’t wiggle more than 1 in (2.5 cm) from front-to-back or side-to-side. Even if you read the manuals carefully and are sure you’ve installed the seat properly, you should have an expert check your work and offer tips. Contact your local police department or fire station to see if they offer car seat inspections.  Alternatively, contact your government’s transportation or highway safety departments, or your car insurance company, for info on inspection sites. You can also find U.S. inspection sites online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/equipment/car-seats-and-booster-seats#installation-help-inspection
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assistant: “Promote” your child to the next seat stage as slowly as possible. Avoid used, damaged, or old car seats. Don’t put a child safety seat in the front passenger seat. Install the seat according to its instructions and the vehicle’s manual. Anchor the car seat’s latch clips at the LATCH anchor points. Tighten each LATCH anchor strap as much as possible. Find a car seat safety inspection site near you.