What type of car seat must a child less than a year old be in?

A child less than a year old must be placed in a rear-facing car seat. This recommendation is based on safety guidelines established by child passenger safety organizations and pediatricians, which underscore that rear-facing seats provide better support for a child's head, neck, and spine in the event of a collision.

When a child is positioned rear-facing, the seat absorbs the impact of a crash more effectively, distributing the force across the back of the car seat rather than directly to the child’s fragile body. As infants have proportionally larger heads compared to their bodies, they are at higher risk of serious injury if involved in a crash while facing forward.

The recommendation for rear-facing seats extends beyond just a year in many cases, with guidelines suggesting that children remain in a rear-facing seat until they reach the maximum weight or height limit specified by the manufacturer of the car seat. This focus on rear-facing seating underscores the priority placed on ensuring the utmost safety for young children during transport in vehicles.