In order to ensure the safety of young children while traveling in a car, a car seat must be installed properly. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nearly 85% of car seats are not installed correctly.http://www.babycenter.com/0_installing-a-car-seat_9458.bc This page provides instructions on how to properly install a car seat.

1. Infants and babies under 20 lbs or under the age of 12 months should be in a rear-facing infant car seathttp://www.babycenter.com/0_installing-a-car-seat_9458.bc
2. The safest place for a car seat is in the middle or the back seathttp://www.babycenter.com/0_installing-a-car-seat_9458.bc
3. Make sure you refer to your car's manual and the instructions that came with your specific car seat
4. If you need further help, visit a local car-seat installation center

The National Highway Administration reports that a properly installed car seat can reduce the risk of fatality in infants as much as 71%. Infants and babies are fragile and their neck ligaments are weak. In a crash, babies are at a greater risk for serious injury. Car seat manufacturers supply specific instructions for installing their car seats but there are some standard instructions you should also follow.

Be sure to read through the instruction manual that came with your car seat. In addition, you may need to review your vehicle's manual to familiarize yourself with the mechanics of you car's seat belt system. Depending on the model of your car, (especially if the car is older than a 1996) the seat belt may not lock up if the car suddenly stops. You might need to use a car seat locking clip. Many car seats are now sold with this locking clip.http://www.babycenter.com/0_installing-a-car-seat_9458.bc

If you child is under a year old and is under 20 pounds, you must use a rear-facing infant car seat. A rear-facing infant car seat (where the baby is facing the actual seat he is seated on) reduces the risk of a neck or spine injury in infants if the car gets into a head-on collission.http://www.babycenter.com/0_car-seat-safety-how-to-choose-and-use-a-car-seat_399.bc

Older babies should be seated facing forward in an upright car seat. The safest place for all car seats is in the middle of the back seat.

1. Read your vehicle's manual and the car seat's instruction manual for specific instructions
2. Set the fit of the car seat's harness to your child before installing the car seat
   • Place the child in the car seat and fasten the harness that is intended to hold the baby in place. (This should be done first, before installing the car seat because if you do this backward, you'll probably have to uninstall the car seat reach the adjustment devices.) You should not be able to pinch the harness between your fingers; it must be snug against the baby.
3. Place the car seat in the vehicle and check the instruction manual for the proper angle
   • Some newer car seats have an angle indicator that tells you if the car seat is on the correct angle. If it doesn't have an angle indicator, you may use a rolled towel under the foot of the seat to help raise it to the correct angle.
4. Secure the car seat in place with your vehicle's seat belt
   • Again, check your car seat's specific instructions and your car's manual. You may need to use a locking clip (which looks like a buckle) in order to assure a tight fit. If the seat belt is loose, it defeats the purpose, so make sure the seat belt will not loosen. Use your body weight to hold the car seat in place as you pull the seat belt tight and into position.http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/carseat/infant.php A correctly installed car seat won't budge more than 1" in any direction.http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/carseat/flash/infant_shell.html