How to keep your baby safe in the car

Having a newborn doesn’t mean you need to stress about getting from A to B, but there are a few guidelines to keep in mind when driving with your little one: 

• Infant passengers must be safely buckled into a height-based seat, also known as ‘i-Size’ seats.
• Car seats must be rear-facing until your baby is aged 15 months or over.
• All child seats need to be securely fastened in with a diagonal strap.
• Your child should either be seated in the far right or far left back seat.
• It's safest to use a car seat in the back of the vehicle. However, if you’re installing your car seat in the front passenger seat, you must deactivate the front airbags before doing so.

It’s really important to have a car seat that fits your vehicle properly. If possible, try setting it up before your baby arrives, so it's ready if you need to drive your bundle of joy home.

• Shop around: There are a range of makes and models that all fit slightly differently, meaning what worked for a friend won’t always be the best option for you. You’ll almost certainly find a local retailer who can help you choose the right car seat and show you how to install it.
• Practice fitting the car seat: Before the big day, try practising installing the car seat a few times in your vehicle. This will help you feel more confident about installing the seat or taking it out once your baby is born.
• Make sure anyone else who may be driving your baby around, like childminders or grandparents, have a safe car seat for your child, too – or know how to use yours.

ISOFIX may sound complicated but it’s just an international standard and can make fitting a car seat even more straightforward. If you’re thinking about getting an ISOFIX car seat, it’s a good idea to check if your car has the right connectors built in. Lots of modern family cars will contain these as standard. If you’re not sure, try looking or feeling between the backrests and seats for the metal connectors – they’re probably hiding there. To check your car has ISOFIX connectors you can also check the car’s handbook or manufacturer’s website. 

As a rule of thumb, you should always buy a brand-new car seat. Second-hand car seats may look fine on the surface, but the risks associated with using a previously owned seat which could have been in an accident are too risky to ignore.

By investing in your own brand-new car seat, you’re also guaranteed to get one that has all its parts and proper instructions on how to install and use it. Even if you find a second-hand option that fits your car and – to your knowledge – has barely been used, new is always better.

A high-backed booster seat helps position the seatbelt straps properly. Since a child’s bones are still developing, the seat is designed to offer protection similar to that of a fully grown adult’s pelvis and collarbone during a crash, lowering the risk of fractures and spinal injuries. Additionally, its side wings shield the child’s head and limit movement in side impacts, and some models feature adjustable headrests to further minimize head movement.

A booster cushion, on the other hand, doesn’t have a back, so it offers no means of correctly positioning the seatbelt at the shoulder and across the chest. It also doesn’t provide additional support in the way of side wings or a head restraint.

Safety organisations generally don’t recommend using booster cushions. You may find that some high-backed booster seats have removable backs so that you can convert them to booster cushions, but these also aren’t recommended. It’s important you know all the safety features in your car before setting off.

Tests have shown that young children are especially vulnerable in crashes. Pre-tensioning seat belts can apply huge loads on a child's rib cage, while the size of their heads relative to their bodies means they move around more violently, causing greater injury. A child in a booster cushion is especially at risk from side impact injuries, too. If you’re looking to replace a car seat that’s been damaged due to an accident, fire or theft, check with your car insurer first, as you may be covered.

Before you buy any booster seat, make sure it's covered by your car insurance.

Regulation ECE R44/O4 applies to high-backed seats and booster cushions and covers children from birth to 36kg. You should also be aware that UK road traffic law demands all children travelling in a car must use the correct car seat until they're 12 years old or 135cm tall.

The use of booster cushions (also known as backless booster seats) is limited to children taller than 125 cm and weighing more than 22kg. These products display a sticker stating what height and weight of child they can be used for.