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• Read the instructions that came with your seat.

Follow them carefully and keep them with the car seat. You will need them as your child grows.

• Is your child facing the right way for both weight and age?

Infants should ride facing the back of the car until at least one year of age and they weigh 22 pounds. It is safer for infants to ride rear-facing as long as possible until they reach the rear-facing weight or height limit of their seat.

• Is the vehicle seatbelt or universal anchorage system in the right place and pulled tight?

The belt must be threaded through the correct belt path to hold the car seat in place. The car seat should not move more than one inch toward the front of the vehicle or side to side where the belt is routed through the seat.

• Have you checked your vehicle owner's manual?

Check the owner's manual for your car for information about air bags, using your seatbelts or the universal anchorage system and tether anchors. Do not install the car seat in a seating position that has active air bag. Children 12 and under are safer in the back seat.

• Is the car seat at the correct angle?

When rear-facing, make sure the seat is at the correct angle, about 45 degrees, so your infant's head does not flop forward. Most seats have angle indicators or adjusters that can help prevent this. A tightly rolled towel or foam pool noodle can be placed under the infant seat to adjust the angle if necessary. The car seat is usually upright when facing forward.

• Is the forward-facing car sear tethered?

When a car seat is facing forward, the tether strap must be used. It is attached to the back of the car seat and hooks on an anchor in the vehicle. Check your vehicle owner's manual for tether anchor locations.

• Is the harness through the correct slots and snug?

Rear-facing, the harness should come through the back of the seat below your child's shoulders. When your child is facing forward, the harness should be above the shoulders. Make sure that the harness is flat. You should only be able to fit one finger between the harness and the child's collarbone. The chest clip should be at armpit level.