TRIPLETS!!!! - Tips on fitting 3 infant seats across the back seat (or 2 side by side for twins)

3 Chicco KeyFit 30 infant car seats installed in a 2007 Volvo XC90

Please note that MANY (if not the majority of) vehicles can not accommodate 3 infant car seats across the back seat.  While it is possible to simply rest all three infant seats side by side, once you try to install one or two it becomes obvious that there is not enough room for the other/s due to the layout of the back seat.  Due to 60/40 splits and other divisions of the back seat in many vehicles, you are often not dealing with three equally proportioned seats - but rather one larger seat (the 40 side - which is 40% of the back seat) and two seats that are each only 30% of the back seat.  

Many people will assume that the width of the back seat is the amount of room they have to work with - when this is almost never the case.  Because the lower anchors (part of the LATCH system) and the vehicle's seat belt usually start several inches away from the door, it makes it impossible for the car seat on the side to sit next to the door - rather, it is forced to sit several inches into the car.  As you can see from the photos to the right - there is enough room to fit a large fist between the Chicco car seat and the Volvo door frame.  Short of installing the car seat loosely, there is no way to get the car seat to sit closer to the door.  In some vehicles, installing the car seat using the seat belt instead of the lower anchors allows you to install it an inch or two closer to the door - and that inch or two might make all the difference between fitting all the seats and not. 

Will the Driver Have Enough Room to Drive - Why the Carrier Handle Position Matters

Another issue with infant seats is that not only do they take up room in the back seat - but by virtue of the fact that they lay semi-reclined, they take up leg room for the person sitting in front of the car seat (i.e. the driver or front passenger).  When installing an infant seat behind the driver, it is not enough to make sure the car seat is installed securely in the back seat - but also that the driver has enough room to drive safely and ideally comfortably.  Many infant seats require the carry handle to be placed either in the "store" position (at the top of the carrier) - which often makes the car seat take up an additional several inches of space front to back.  Finding an infant carrier that allows the handle to be placed in the "carry" position while in the car will allow the person sitting in front of the car seat the most room.  Please see this blog post with tip sheet for further info on the carry handle position - including a chart of the permissible handle positions for current and recently discontinued infant seats.

For example, the Britax Chaperone is a fantastic seat for preemies - but because it is almost 1.5 inches wider (external dimensions) than the Chicco Key Fit and takes up more room in the car front to back (meaning the driver has less room to drive) it may not work well for families with multiples depending on the vehicle.

Infant Car Seats for Babies LESS THAN 5 Pounds
10% of all babies in the US leave the hospital weighing less than 5 pounds.  With multiples, there's an increased chance of taking home a baby weighing <5 lbs.  Did you know that most infant seats are certified for babies 5 pounds and up.  Therefore, finding a car seat that not only fits properly in your vehicle - but is also certified for the baby's weight - is of the utmost importance.  Please see our tip sheet on preemies & small newborns for info on the starting weight for all the infant seats currently sold in the US, along with other pertinent info.

Infant Carrier Handle Position: Where Should it Be in the Car?

*** For an easy-to-print version of this handout, please CLICK HERE***

A lot of parents think that the handle has to be down when the carrier is in the car.  This is not true!  Many carriers allow - and some even insist - that the handle be up when the seat is in the car.

What many people don't realize is that while the carrier is in the back seat, it also takes up room in the front seat too as it sits semi-reclined, often forcing the front seats to move up to accommodate it.  With the handle in the store position, the carrier often takes up another several inches side-side in addition to 2 inches or more front-back - extra room that typically prevents the carrier from fitting securely in the center without the driver being forced to sit too close to the steering wheel.  Therefore, the most versatile carrier allows the handle to be up (i.e. in the carry position).  With the handle up, the carrier is more likely to fit securely in the center of the back seat, nestled between the two front seats, while still allowing the driver and front passenger enough room.

If trying to fit two car seats side by side, the extra width of the handle when in the store position will often prevent the two seats from fitting securely side by side.

The table below lists the authorized handle positions for travel in the car for current and recently discontinued infant carriers.  Please always double check the manual to your child's seat.  If the box is colored, this means you may use the handle in that position. 

NOTES

• Evenflo: On the Embrace, ensure there is at least 1.5 inches of space between any part of the carrier and the vehicle seat in front.  Handle may need to be in stand position to provide enough room.
• Graco: There are often several locked positions between carry and store - these are not OK to use in the vehicle
• Orbit Baby: Soft handles are lowered to top edge of seat 
• The First Years: Anti-Rebound Position (all the way closest to the baby’s feet) is the PREFERRED position

Curious how the rumor "the handle always has to be down" got started?

The first infant carrier with a base ever sold in the United States hit the market in the mid 1980's.  On this particular seat - the Century 580 - you placed the infant carrier into the base with the handle up and then rotated the handle back to the store position to lock the carrier into the base.  Forgetting to move the handle back meant that the carrier was not locked into the base, and could come out of the base in a crash!  The Century 580, and its successor the 590, were the only infant carriers to feature this type of locking mechanism - all other seats lock automatically when you place the carrier in the base.  Other manufacturers were concerned that if they allowed their seats to use the carry position, parents might mistakenly think it was OK to use the carry position on a Century 580/590, which could be a deadly mistake.  With the last Century 590 made in 1997 (and too old to be used after 2003), manufacturers now feel comfortable recommending different handle positions.  In fact, most seats in Europe use the handle in the carry position.

CENTER LATCH (not always an oxymoron) - 2010 Vehicles that allow the use of the lower anchors in the center position

Why do I need a chart like this? 

• This chart will tell you all of the 2010 vehicles that allow, in some form or another, the installation of a car seat in the center seat using the lower anchors.
• Since the vehicle manufacturers were only required to place the lower anchors in 2 seating positions, most vehicles only have the lower anchors for the 2 side seating positions. In most vehicles it is not permissible to install a car seat in the center using the lower anchors. 
• However, there are some vehicles where you can secure a car seat in the center using the lower anchors – either borrowing the inner most lower anchors from the 2 side seats or using the center’s own set of lower anchors.

What do the car seat manufacturers think of a center installation with the lower anchors? 

• Oftentimes, the lower anchors used in these center installations are at non-standard spacing (i.e. anything wider than 11 inches).
• Therefore, you must know what the car seat manufacturer allows – as many only allow their car seats to be installed when the spacing is 11 inches.  
• The car seat manufacturers in the table below allow their car seats to be installed using non-standard lower anchor spacing if (and only if): 
• a) the vehicle manufacturer allows the use of LATCH in a middle seating position with non-standard anchor spacing AND
• b) you can achieve a tight car seat installation

• Note: Combi's policy allowing 11-20 inches is retroactive for ALL Combi seats
• The car seat manufacturers in the list below allow their car seats to be installed using lower anchors if (and only if): 
• a) the vehicle manufacturer designates that location as a LATCH position AND
• b) the lower anchors are spaced 11 inches apart (standard spacing) AND
• c) you can achieve a tight car seat installation
• Baby Trend, Bergeron, Chicco, Dorel (Cosco, Eddie Bauer, Maxi Cosi, Safety 1st), Evenflo, Graco, Jane, Learning Curve, Magna, Mercedes-Benz, Mia Moda, Peg Perego, Sammons Preston Roylan

The FINE Print

• Even though this chart might indicate that you can install a car seat in the center using the lower anchors, there are some obstacles you may encounter that might prevent you from 1. installing the seat in the center using the lower anchors (and instead having to use the vehicle's seat belt) or 2. installing the seat in the center period (typically due to the size and contour of the vehicle's center seat & the specific child car seat).  
• When installing a car seat anywhere, in any vehicle, make sure it is not sitting on or in any way obstructing the use of the seat belt or buckle for an adjacent seating position.  It is an absolute that EVERYONE in the vehicle wears their seat belt - so never allow someone to ride in a position where they can't use the seat belt.  
• In many cases listed below, the child car seat will often block the seat belt buckle of an adjacent seat - either by sitting on top of it, or the lower anchor strap will cross it in such a way that the adjacent seat belt becomes unusable.  DO NOT install the car seat in the center in these situations if anyone will need to ride in that adjacent seat.  
• NEVER attach 2 child car seats to one lower anchor

HOW TO USE THE TABLES

• The tables that follow are organized by the total number of lower anchors - with 4 being the most common amount (as the government standard only requires the lower anchors to be in 2 seating positions - so with 2 positions and 2 anchors per position you get 4 lower anchors).  
• Note: For vehicles that have a 3rd row of seats (minivans, some SUVs) this table is speaking of the 2nd row seat.  
• Of the vehicles with a 3rd row of seats, the following have lower anchors for the center position in the third row:
• Dodge Grand Caravan 2008-2010
• Honda Odyssey 2005-2010
• Toyota Sienna 2004-2011 
• (also had lower anchors for the 3rd row passenger side 2004-2010)
• Volkswagen Routan 2009-2010

4 LOWER ANCHORS

Center ones spaced more than 11 inches apart

• This situation is the most common
• In this situation you are "borrowing" the inner most lower anchors from the two side seating positions to attach the car seat in the center. 

 Equidistant - All spaced 11 inches apart

• This works great for installing a car seat in the center using the lower anchors - but when installing a car seat on the side using the lower anchors the car seat is half into the center position and half into the side position - thereby taking up 2 seating positions in the back seat
  

 5 LOWER ANCHORS

Inner passenger anchor shared between center & passenger seats 

• This works well when trying to install 2 car seats side by side (driver & center) - but you will find that the passenger side seat is in most cases not big enough for a car seat or a moderate sized adult when there is a car seat in the center seat.
  
• Honda CRV: When using center lower anchors, a child restraint on the driver's side seat can NOT be secured with the lower anchors - rather it must use the vehicle's seat belt - even though the center & driver positions do not share any lower anchors.
• Chrysler PT Cruiser: the spacing between the center lower anchors is 15.4 inches

Inner driver anchor shared between center & driver seats 

• This works well when trying to install 2 car seats side by side (passenger & center) - but you will find that the driver side seat is in most cases not big enough for a car seat or a moderate sized adult when there is a car seat in the center seat.
  
• Acura RDX: When using center lower anchors, a child restraint on the passenger's side seat can NOT be secured with the lower anchors - rather it must use the vehicle's seat belt - even though the center & passenger positions do not share any lower anchors. 

 6 LOWER ANCHORS

All 3 LATCH systems can (theoretically) be used at once

• There are NO car seats on the market that are 11 inches wide - the narrowest ones are 15 inches wide, with the average width being closer to 20 inches.  
• If you number the lower anchors 1-6, you need to have at least 4 inches between anchors 2&3 and 4&5 in order to be able to fit even the narrowest car seats side by side (as if the car seat is 15 inches wide and the lower anchors are 11 inches wide - you still need an extra 2 inches on either side for the 15 inch car seat to fit).  This is why I said that "theoretically" all can be used at once - as with many of these vehicles the spacing between adjacent lower anchors is too close to actually allow for 2 car seats to be installed side by side.  

6 Lower anchors - use either A. 2 sides or B. center

• In these vehicles, if a car seat is installed in the center using the lower anchors you can not use the lower anchors for either of the side seats to secure a car seat on the side.  

6 Lower anchors - driver & center anchors overlap

Use either A. 2 sides or B. Center or C. Center & Passenger

• Because of the overlapping anchors, you will likely find that with a car seat installed in the center it is impossible to use the seat belt on the driver's side - therefore if someone needs to sit on the driver's side you should NOT install the car seat in the center using the lower anchors.

LATCH 201: Which LATCH attachments come with which child safety seats (the standard & the optional)

WHICH LATCH ATTACHMENTS

COME WITH MY CHILD SAFETY SEAT?

Note: The following info pertains to car seats currently sold in the US.  Always refer to your child seat & vehicle owner's manuals. 

INFANT SEAT WITH BASE

Rear-facing infant seats usually come with a base.

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP: permanently attached to the base
TETHER STRAP: none currently sold in the US use a tether

NOTE: When using the infant seat without the base, you will need to use the vehicle's seat belt to secure the seat - as the lower anchor strap is permanently attached to the base (and should not be removed).  All infant seats EXCEPT the following allow you to use the carrier without the base: Evenflo Cozy Carry, Evenflo Embrace (those made before 10/08), The First Years Via (formerly the Compass I400), Peg Perego Primo Viaggio (non-SIP 30/30 versions). 

INFANT SEAT WITHOUT BASE

Sometimes rear-facing infant seats come by themselves (i.e. without a base).  The information below is for carriers that come without a base (for carriers that come with a base, see above info)

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP: permanently attached to the carrier
TETHER STRAP: no infant seats currently sold in the US use a tether

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CONVERTIBLE SEAT 

(CONVERTS FROM REAR-FACING to FORWARD-FACING)

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP: permanently attached to the seat.
Most convertible seats have one long lower anchor strap with a connector on either end - while others (some Britax & Recaro for example) have 2 separate lower anchor straps each with a connector on the end.  Some convertible seats have a separate lower anchor strap for rear-facing & forward facing (ex. Graco My Ride 65).
**Always make sure the lower anchor strap is routed/positioned in the proper place for the direction the seat is facing - nearly all seats require you to make some change in the lower anchor strap when the seat goes from rear-facing to forward-facing.

TETHER STRAP: Most convertible seats do not use the tether rear-facing.  ALL convertible seats use the tether forward-facing.  
***Remember: While the lower anchors are used INSTEAD of the vehicle's safety belt to secure the child safety seat to the vehicle, tethers are used IN ADDITION to the lower anchors OR the vehicle's safety belt to secure a forward-facing (and some rear-facing) child safety seat to the vehicle.
These convertible seats can use the tether rear-facing:
- Britax: all convertible car seats allow Swedish or Australian method
- Combi Coccoro: will retroactively allow tethering (further info to come)
- Snug Seat Hippo: changed 5/30/07 to retroactively allow Swedish or Australian method (this seat is for children in Spica casts)
- Sunshine Kids Radian (all models) - tether using Swedish method

Swedish method: down to an anchor/structural piece of metal on the floor of the vehicle. Check out this video from Britax (see step 9) which shows how to find an anchor location & how to use the tether connector strap
Australian method: to the forward-facing tether anchor

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COMBINATION SEAT 

(FORWARD-FACING 5-POINT HARNESS CAR SEAT 

THAT TURNS INTO A BELT POSITIONING BOOSTER)

5-POINT HARNESS CAR SEAT MODE

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP: permanently attached to the seat.
TETHER STRAP: All combination seats come with a tether.  While the tether is technically optional on most combination seats (but should always be used whenever possible as it decreases how far the child's head moves forward by up to 8 inches), there are a few that require the tether.  For example, the Safety 1st Go Hybrid requires the tether at all times, while the Britax Frontier 85 requires it for children weighing more than 65 pounds who are using the 5 point harness.
***Remember: While the lower anchors are used INSTEAD of the vehicle's safety belt to secure the child safety seat to the vehicle, tethers are used IN ADDITION to the lower anchors OR the vehicle's safety belt to secure a forward-facing (and some rear-facing) child safety seat to the vehicle.

BELT POSITIONING BOOSTER MODE

Most combination seats do NOT allow the use of the lower anchor OR tether strap to secure the seat to the vehicle while the seat is being used in the booster mode (i.e. the child is using the vehicle's shoulder/lap belt across them). 
Current exceptions:
- Britax Frontier & Frontier 85: allow use of lower anchors & tether
- Evenflo - all combo seats (retroactive) allow use of lower anchors & tether
- Recaro Young Sport - recommend use of tether (do not allow lower anchors)
- Safety 1st Go Hybrid (formerly Safeguard Go) - allow use of lower anchor
- Nania Airway & Nuevo/Solo - allow use of lower anchors & tether

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HIGH- BACK BELT POSITIONING BOOSTER

TETHER STRAP: None of the high-back boosters (that weren't part of a combination seat) currently come with a tether strap.

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP:  Most booster seats do not come with lower anchor connectors - however, the few that do most often have rigid lower anchor connectors (instead of a flexible lower anchor strap as is found on nearly every other type of car seat).  See close-up drawing at left of a rigid lower anchor connector. 

The following high-back boosters allow the use of the lower anchors:
- Cybex Solution X-fix - rigid lower anchor connectors
- Jane Indy Plus - rigid lower anchor connectors
- Magna Clek Oobr - rigid lower anchor connectors
- Sunshine Kids Monterey - (flexible) lower anchor connectors

****************************************************************************************************

BACKLESS BELT POSITIONING BOOSTER

TETHER STRAP: No backless boosters use a tether strap.

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP: Most do not have a lower anchor strap/connector
The following backless boosters allow the use of the lower anchors:
- Magna Clek Olli & Ozzi - rigid lower anchor connectors
- Safety 1st Go Hybrid - flexible lower anchor connectors
- Sunshine Kids Monterey - (flexible) lower anchor connectors

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SAFE TRAFFIC SYSTEMS RIDE SAFER TRAVEL VEST 

(FUNCTIONS LIKE A BELT POSITIONING BOOSTER) 

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP:  Does not have a lower anchor strap

TETHER STRAP: tether must be used when using a lap-only belt, and may be used for extra support when using a shoulder belt.

LATCH 101: The Basics

LATCH stands for Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. It's also known as ISOFIX in Europe and LUAS (Lower Universal Anchorage System) in Canada.

LATCH is a way to secure a child safety seat to the vehicle using straps from the child safety seat that connect to special metal anchors in the vehicle.

VEHICLE LATCH ANCHORS

LOWER ANCHORS:

• Lower anchors are a pair of metal “u-shaped” bars hidden in the vehicle’s seat crack.

TETHER ANCHOR:

• A tether anchor is a metal anchor (often a ring or bar) found behind the vehicle seat.

**FYI: Vehicles since model year 2003 must have the lower anchors in at least TWO seating positions and tether anchors in at least THREE positions. This means that, in most vehicles, the side seats have lower anchors AND tether anchors, while the center seat has a tether anchor but NO lower anchors.

This diagram above shows the varied locations you may find the tether anchor in the vehicle.  ALWAYS check the vehicle owner's manual to make sure that what you have found is indeed the tether anchor (and not a cargo hook, which can not withstand the force of a crash).  See bottom of this post for pictures of different locations for tether anchors in a wide variety of vehicles.

CHILD SAFETY SEAT LATCH STRAPS

LOWER ANCHOR STRAP

• All child safety seats that use the vehicle’s lower anchors have a lower anchor strap with a connector on the end. Some child safety seats have two separate lower anchor straps, each with a connector on one end. These connectors attach to the vehicle’s lower anchors.  A few booster seats have a rigid lower anchor connector, instead of having the connector on a flexible strap.
• Rear-facing car seats typically just use the lower anchors (a few can also use the top tether).  Forward-facing car seats use the lower anchors AND top tether.  

Forward-facing car seat
using Lower Anchor Strap

Forward-facing car seat
with Rigid Lower LATCH

TETHER STRAP

• All forward-facing child safety seats that use the vehicle's lower LATCH anchors will come with not only a lower anchor strap, but also a tether strap. The tether strap comes from the top of the child's car seat and has a hook on the end that connects to the tether anchor in the vehicle.

Forward-facing car seat
Using tether in a minivan

Forward-facing car seat
Using tether in a sedan

AN ANALOGY: 
Vehicle Seat Belt: Glasses   as   Lower Anchors : Contact Lenses  
- Just an analogy for those yearning to relive their high-school SAT studying days.  But in all seriousness, this analogy explains why you never use the lower anchors & the vehicle seat belt at the same time to install the car seat.   Just like if you were to wear contacts & glasses at the same time you would see worse rather than better, so too the performance of the car seat may be NEGATIVELY affected by using both the lower anchors and the vehicle's seat belt at the same time.
- Note: Lower anchors are used INSTEAD of the vehicle's safety belt to secure the child safety seat to the vehicle. Tethers are used IN ADDITION to the lower anchors OR the vehicle's safety belt to secure a forward-facing (and some rear-facing) child safety seat to the vehicle.

JUST A FEW PICTURES SHOWING THE HIGHLY VARIABLE LOCATIONS FOR TETHER ANCHORS 

***ALWAYS CHECK YOUR VEHICLE OWNER'S MANUAL TO SEE WHERE YOUR ANCHORS ARE LOCATED***

MINIVAN
Tether on bottom of vehicle seat

MINIVAN
Tether on bottom of vehicle seat -
but covered up by carpet flap

SUV/Wagon
Tether anchor in the roof

SUV/Wagon
Tether anchor on back of vehicle seat

SUV/WagonTether anchors in floor of cargo area
(very inconvenient when trying to load packages)

5 door Hatchback
Tether Anchor on back of vehicle seat

SEDAN
Tether Anchor is on the shelf below the rear windshield

SEDAN
Tether Anchor is on the shelf below the rear windshield

"How would you feel if the surgeon removing your appendix talked on the phone — hands free, of course — while operating?"

"How would you feel if the surgeon removing your appendix talked on the phone — hands free, of course — while operating?"

The doctor writing this fantastic article from today's New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) on talking/texting while driving poses this question to her patients who don't get the essence of the problem — the challenge of concentrating fully on the task at hand while engaged in a phone conversation.

For my frequent commutes between NYC & Philly/Baltimore I usually ride BoltBus (a subsidiary of Greyhound) and am dismayed that they continue to allow their drivers to talk on the phone (hands-free) while driving.  Below is an email I sent their customer service today - I will keep you posted about what they say.  I have also submitted this info on Oprah's website - oprah.com/nophonezone - perhaps she can help change the rules.

To whom it may concern -

I frequently ride BoltBus and am dismayed that so many drivers spend the majority of the bus ride talking on their cell phones (chatting with girlfriends, kids, friends - none of these have been "necessary" calls).  I have even asked a driver, in the interest of the safety of those aboard the bus, to please refrain from making personal phone calls - to which he replied, nastily I might add, that he would make as many calls as he wanted as there was no company policy stating that he couldn't. 

I am sure that you have a company policy that forbids a driver from driving drunk.  With studies showing that talking (on a hands-free cell phone) while driving increases the risk of crashing to the same rate as driving drunk, I don't see how you can continue to allow your drivers to talk on the phone while driving.

I am sharing with you an article from today's New England Journal of Medicine - the most widely respected peer-reviewed American medical journal - on the dangers of talking on the phone (including with a hands free) while driving.  As a pediatrician in a neonatal intensive care unit, I feel confident that if you were the parent of a sick infant you would not want me talking on my cell phone while trying to resuscitate the baby.   So too, I expect that others will show my health and safety the same respect and not drive distracted.

For a company dedicated to safety I hope that you take the necessary steps to make it company policy that drivers are not allowed to talk on a cell phone (hands free or hand held) while driving - because there is NO call that is more important than the lives of the passengers & the driver and the other people on the road.

I would like to speak with the Driver Operations Manager - please forward him/her my contact information and this email.  I look forward to speaking with him/her in the upcoming days.

Best,

Alisa

The Center: Why Your Child Should be Riding There (and not on the side)

***For an easy-to-print version of this tip sheet, click here***

Center or Side?

The center of the back seat is the safest place in the entire vehicle. It's not just safest for kids - it's safest for adults too. Research from real crashes shows that kids sitting in the center are 43% safer than those sitting on the side because you can never take a direct hit in the center.

But there is no LATCH in the center of my vehicle?

Talk about a mixed message! LATCH was designed specifically for child safety seats, yet the safest place for the child safety seat usually doesn't have LATCH. BUT just because there is no LATCH doesn't mean you can't install the child safety seat in the center - you will just need to use the vehicle's safety belt to secure the child safety seat in the center. (Just remember, there is almost always a tether anchor in the center - so if you are putting a forward-facing seat in the center, use the vehicle's safety belt AND the tether.)

But what if two (or more) people need to ride in the back seat?

Since the center is the safest spot, try to put the person who is least protected in the center. For example, a rear-facing child (even a 4 pound preemie) is 5 times safer than a forward-facing child or adult simply because they are riding rear-facing. So, put the forward-facing child in the center and the rear-facing child on the side to "even things out."

But I don't have a shoulder belt in the center - it is just a lap belt

With most child safety seats, it doesn't matter whether you use a shoulder/lap belt or just a lap belt to secure the seat to the vehicle. It also doesn't matter for the child's safety - as they are using the harness straps from the child safety seat (not the vehicle's seat belt) to hold them tight. The one big exception are booster seats - seats where the child sits on the booster and uses the vehicle's shoulder/lap belt across them. Kids in boosters need shoulder belts - and can not ride with just a lap belt. Adults too should ideally ride with a shoulder belt as the shoulder belt holds the upper body back - keeping the head and chest safe. Therefore, if you have just a lap belt in the center, the child in a booster and the adult would be safer on the side with a shoulder/lap belt.

But what if the child safety seat doesn't fit securely in the center?

The most important thing is to use the child safety seat properly. So, if the safety seat doesn't fit securely in the center, install it on the side. Or, buy a different safety seat that will fit securely in the center.

But won't my child fly through the windshield if they sit in the center?

As a parent there are many things to worry about, and many parents worry about this. But as the car seat lady and a pediatrician I am going to tell you not to worry! If the child safety seat is used properly, you don't have to worry about anyone going through the windshield. A properly used child safety seat is belted tight to the vehicle and the child is strapped tightly in the harness. The only people who go through the windshield are those who forgot to wear their safety belt or kids who were VERY loose in their harness straps.

But there is a fold-down arm rest in the center seat.

No problem! For those who may have heard not to place a rear-facing seat in front of an arm rest, here is how the myth got started. A long time ago one child safety seat manufacturer (Evenflo) slipped this sentence into the instruction manual for all of their rear-facing safety seats: "When this restraint is used rear facing, DO NOT place it in a seating position with a fold-down armrest. During an impact, the movement of the armrest can cause serious injury or death to your infant." Evenflo was never able to provide even one real-world example where a baby was hurt in a crash because of an arm rest. None of the other child safety seat manufacturers ever thought that the arm rest was a problem. In fact, no one in the safety field is aware of even one injury to a rear-facing baby due to a fold-down arm rest. Eventually, Evenflo removed this statement from all of their seats and now allows any of their seats to be placed in front of a fold-down arm rest. Remember, the study that found that kids were 43% safer in the center was from real-world crashes, with real babies riding rear-facing in front of fold-down arm rests.

VIDEO: Buckling a baby into a 5 point harness