Babies and toddlers should ride in rear-facing car seats (either Infant Seats
or Convertible Car Seats)until they have reached the height and weight
limits of the seat. Most infants will outgrow a Rear-Facing Only seat
(this is the seat most commonly used for newborns and infants; it has a handle
and sometimes a base. It can only face backwards in a car) in 6-18 months.
Families should then obtain a Convertible Car Seat, which converts from
rear-facing to forward facing. Ideally, a child should be rear-facing to age 3
or 4.
Once the child has outgrown the height or weight limits of their car
seat rear-facing, they can turn forward-facing, but continue to use the
harness as long as possible, to the height and weight limits of the seat.
Most children are not mature enough to ride in a booster seat until at least
age 5 or 6.
Booster seats should be used from age 5 or 6 until the adult seat belt
fits, usually when they reach 4’9” in height. For most kids, this means staying
in a booster seat until age 10-12.
Kids can use a seat belt once they can sit with their back all the way
against the back of the vehicle seat and bend their knees at the edge of the
seat without slouching; their feet should be flat on the floor. The shoulder
belt should cross between the neck and shoulder and the lap belt should be on
their hips or thighs, not on the belly.
Kids must ride in the back seat until age 13, no matter how much they
weight or how tall they are.
Car seats and booster seats should be disposed of if they are expired, crashed, or damaged. Putting an unsafe car seat in a trash can or dumpster could result in someone removing the car seat and using it. If you have any questions about whether a car seat should be disposed of, please call Safe Kids at 509-460-4214.
All car seat manufacturers require that the car seat or booster be disposed of after a crash even when no damage is visible. Most require replacement even after a minor collision or fender bender. To find out whether your car seat is still usable, please contact the manufacturer of your car seat or booster seat to find out what their guidelines are for replacement. Insurance will often cover the cost of replacing a car seat that’s been in a collision.
Disposal Options
Recycling: Unfortunately there are no ongoing programs for recycling car seats in Washington State. However, Target stores have been holding car seat trade-in events twice a year (usually September and April). You can trade in any expired or unwanted car seat, base, or booster seat in any condition and receive a discount coupon towards the purchase of new baby equipment. Target arranges for the car seats to be recycled. For more information on Target’s program, please go to https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/planet/sustainable-products/car-seat-trade-in.
Reuse: Safe Kids Benton-Franklin welcomes used car seats to be used for demonstration and teaching purposes. If the seat is not usable, we will take care to dispose of it in a way that ensures no one will remove it from a dumpster. Car seats and boosters can be dropped off at Benton-Franklin Health District’s Kennewick office at 7102 W Okanogan Place in Kennewick. Please call Safe Kids at 509-460-4214 to ask about donating gently used car seats to needy families.
Trash: If you want to throw the car seat away in your own trash, please take a few minutes to destroy it as much as possible and then disguise it. Cut the harness straps and remove the cover and dispose of them separately so no one finds the pieces altogether and tries to reassemble it. Write on the plastic shell of the seat “Do Not Use! Unsafe!” A silver Sharpie works well on black shells. Place the shell of the car seat in a black trash bag and bury it under other garbage in your trash can or dumpster.
Remember… one crash and it’s trash!