Communications

Front seat to car seat: Why proper fit matters

Sharing a vehicle can often feel like stepping into someone else's shoes—only to discover they don't quite fit. Whether you're sharing a car with a spouse or your teenage children, adjusting settings for visibility is safer for you - and other drivers.

car interior with car seat badge
power car seat adjustment knobs

Fit your car: What you need to adjust for safe driving

Ensuring your baby or child is properly fitted in their car seat is important. It's just as critical to adjust your mirrors, seat, seatbelt, steering wheel and headrest so you can see and be seen.

Pre-driving checklist 

While they may add a few extra moments to your journey, every driver should make these interior adjustments before hitting the road to ensure a safe trip.

CAA has developed a checklist of things to review to help drivers prepare their vehicle for a drive, to ensure their vehicle is adjusted perfectly. These simple adjustments can make anyone a safer driver.

car set adjustment diagram

Putting On Seatbelt

Seatbelt

Wearing a seatbelt is a simple yet vital safety measure that can save lives. Make sure your seatbelt fits snugly, resting low over your hips and across your shoulder to keep you secure during a collision. The shoulder strap should always be worn over your shoulder—never under your arm or behind your back.
Adjust seat position buttons in car

Seat

Raise the seat height for a clear view of the road. Ensure you're high enough to see over the steering wheel and hood. Your line of sight should extend at least four meters in front of you, with a minimum distance of 7 to 8 cm (3 inches) above the top of the steering wheel for a safe view.
Hand adjusting headrest in car

Headrest

For a good fit, your ear should hit the midpoint of the headrest, and there should be no more than 6 centimeters (about 2.5 inches) between the restraint and your head—it's fine if it’s touching.
car steering wheel

Steering wheel

Properly positioning your steering wheel is essential for safety, as it significantly influences the effectiveness of your airbag. The airbag is designed to deploy from the center of the steering wheel and should be aimed at your chest rather than your head or face. This alignment is vital because, in the event of a collision, the airbag must deploy correctly to minimize the risk of injury.
Woman Adjusting Her Side-View Mirror In The Car

Mirrors

Adjusted mirrors are key to staying safe on the road, helping reduce blind spots and improving visibility. Start with your rearview mirror, adjusting it to see the center of the rear window. For side mirrors, position them to show just the edges of your vehicle, widening your overall view.
Child in car seat

Child and baby seats

From proper installation to knowing when to move from a rear-facing to front-facing car seat, child seats save lives. A study by CAA found that proper booster seats give 59 per cent more protection than just a seatbelt, while a child seat lowers risk of hospitalization by 67 per cent.

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