Caption: Car seats
Text: All states require the use of infant car restraints. A variety of seats are available, and all new seats must pass rigorous testing standards. The choice of a seat should be based on ease of use and parental preference. Rear-facing infant seats should be used until the child weighs 20 lbs and is one year old. After this time some models can be converted to a forward-facing seat. Toddlers over 40 lbs can use an approved booster seat. This has the advantage of elevation so that the preschooler can see out of the car. Most parents do not realize that at 20 miles an hour, a 20 lb child is thrown forward at a force of 400 lbs. If that child is held unrestrained in an parent's lap, he or she can be crushed against the dashboard by the parent's body - an injury few infants can survive.