No BS, Just BFF Advice: Child Passenger Safety Expert Sam Taylor Tells All—Even How to Negotiate with ToddlersA Girls Guide to CarsScotty ReissSat, September 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM UTCAdd us on GoogleA Girls Guide to CarsChild passenger safety rules keep changing and make it hard to follow. But Sam Taylor sets us straight on what we need to know and how to keep our kids safe.Having kids in car seats is sort of like living in a cult: Those who aren't there yet, or who are out of that stage, have no idea what it's like. The confusion of picking the right seat. The fear of installing it wrong. The anxiety of moving your kids to the next stage too soon. The arguments with older kids who are tired of being in a car seat or booster.But you can do this. Sam Taylor has your back. A child passenger car seat technician and mom of four, she's seen it all and she's here to share the answers to questions people often feel too overwhelmed to ask. Including how to get your toddlers into their seats and happy for the ride ahead. Here's our conversation; if you're short on time and want to listen, you can find the full discussion on our podcast.Not subscribed to our podcast? Get it here!This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks. This interview was edited for clarity and length.Meet Samantha Taylor, Child Passenger Safety TechnicianSamantha TaylorScotty: Hi, Sam. Thank you so much for joining us to talk about a topic that I really love: child passenger safety. Because we're coming up on Child Passenger Safety Week. Is this a big week for you?AdvertisementAdvertisementSam: Yeah. It is like my Christmas. Thank you so much for having me. I cannot wait to chat about all things cars and kids car seats.Scotty: Well, I'm excited to have you here because first of all, I have a gazillion questions. I also want to ask you the questions that people may think of after they leave a child car seat check and then they Google it and they get conflicting answers. But before we jump into that, tell us how the heck you got into not only being a child passenger car seat technician, but also a social media influencer on this topic.Sam: Yeah, so about eight years ago now, I became a CPST. I actually took my certification course when I was 37 weeks pregnant with my first baby. If you can imagine me climbing in and out of these cars, installing kids car seats at that size—that was an adventure! But I wanted to take that certification course because I actually had been working in EMS for over a decade. And my experience as an EMT and then as a paramedic just really showed me how much work there was to be done in injury prevention. A lot of these injuries are quite preventable with car seat use and proper use, and I wanted to help make a difference in my community by sharing that information with other caregivers. So we ended up becoming what's called a fitting station at my ambulance service. We would see so many different people in the community and teach them how to use their kids car seats correctly or assure them that they are using them correctly. But about 70% of people are not. So it's a lot of information to get out there.And it was amazing to be able to have that impact locally. But then ultimately my family ended up having the opportunity to move and I left my job after 12 years. And when we relocated, I was sad about not being able to share that child passenger safety information anymore with caregivers. And I thought, you know what? It's the age of social media. Like, let's just take this education online. And that's what I started doing.AdvertisementAdvertisementScotty: So you started your Instagram channel, @Mama_Knows_Car_Seats. And I will say I've watched you grow—great information, great stories, and a lot of relatable, empathetic content. So clearly you know the pain points many parents are trying to navigate. Tell us about how you got started on your content journey.Sam: Yeah, at the time, this was back in 2022, so that COVID boom of social media had already kind of just happened. And I was like, "You know, maybe this is something I can do. I can see other everyday people doing this." And I just kind of thought, "You know what, what do I have to lose? It's sharing education at the end of the day. It's a worthwhile attempt." And it just worked well. I was enjoying that medium of being able to share and then also being home with my kids at the same time. I was pregnant with my third when we moved. I now have four! So I've grown my family as well as my social media presence. It's taken a little bit of trial and error, but ultimately I've just been able to make really great relationships with other people in both the car seat and the auto industry, like you, Scotty.I had been making content and interacting with Kelly, the Car Mom. She helped me pick my first vehicle for my family. I had come across her desk as a creator about kids car seats, and she reached out and was like, "Hey, do you want to be on the Car Mom team?" I'm like, "Yeah, absolutely! I've been following you for years now." And so now we just work together and help bring more of that car seat–focused content into auto selection and what you want to look for when you're selecting a family car to make your life easier as a parent—easier to be able to use your kids car seats and to use them longer.Scotty: People are actually able to book a consultation with you through The Car Mom. What does that look like?AdvertisementAdvertisementSam: I send you a questionnaire. I learn about what your family looks like, what vehicle you drive, how many children you have, what your ideal budget is, what features on a car seat are important to you—a lot of people love rotating car seats, myself included. Then help present car seats that fit your lifestyle the best, and then you can kind of make a selection from that. Sometimes there aren't a lot of choices, sometimes there's a ton.Something that I like to consider is once you have more children, it gets a little bit more restrictive. Like how are you reaching your kid in the third row if you have a car seat installed in the second row? Things like that. So there are kids car seats that make it easier to make your vehicle work for you, but then you have to take into consideration: Is there a tether anchor back there for your forward-facing car seat? Or are you using a rotating car seat rear-facing that wants a tether? So now that one needs to be accounted for. So it's taking your unique situation and doing the research that would be a lot or a little bit overwhelming or time-consuming for a busy family to do themselves, and bringing that to them in a reliable way instead of Googling something and getting those conflicting answers.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for the latest news and views on cars as we see themCar Seat Safety Can Be Overwhelming; Here's What Drives Sam on this JourneyThe 2024 Subaru Ascent is a great fit for child car seatsScotty: I think a lot of times people just don't even know where to start or what questions to ask. Going into a store or looking online is completely overwhelming. What do you find most rewarding about your job?Sam: I love being able to work one-on-one with a family and help them feel empowered to do whatever they need to do themselves, whether that's how to install their car seat correctly or how to make their vehicle work for their size family. I love that one-on-one part, but I also love from the social media perspective being able to reach so many more caregivers. Most car seats aren't being used correctly, and it's not for a lack of trying. Parents want the very best for their kids, and they're doing their best to keep them safe. There's just a gap in the knowledge that needs to be put out there so that these parents can use their car seats more correctly. Being able to put that information out there and have it reach so many families really makes me feel good at the end of the day—that I'm able to achieve the goal I set out eight years ago, just helping more kids ride safer.AdvertisementAdvertisementScotty: So much of the information out there is so scolding, but your channel delivers messaging that is empathetic and helpful.Sam: That's a big part of what me and some of my other colleagues in this space are trying to do: change the perception. Because if you say "social media car seats," the first words that come into my mind are negative—like, "Gosh, I'm scared to read the comment section." I want to change that. I want it to be meeting parents where they're at and helping them feel supported so that they're able to just be in a mindset to take in new information. If you have kids and you use social media, it's this very shameful messaging across so many different aspects of parenting. If we can share this information in a way that makes people want to hear it, it's going to go so much further. We're really trying to change that mindset and just say, "Hey, here's how you can help your child ride a little bit safer." Ultimately, using a car seat, period, is the most important thing you can do to keep your child safe. The most important thing.Scotty: Tell us about some of the mistakes that you see people making when they're buying a car seat or thinking about buying a car seat. What are they doing that you would correct?Sam: I think it's really important to consider the needs that your family has. How many children do you need to fit in that car, and how many do you need to fit in car seats? Because sometimes what I see happen is as your oldest child gets older relative to your younger kids, people are eager to make that transition out of a booster seat because it's hard to fit all these car seats in your car. It's hard to reach your kid in the third row. A premature transition out of a car seat is something we want to avoid.AdvertisementAdvertisementSo if we're able to make selections that make accessing each child easier or installing the car seats easier if you need to take them in and out, prioritizing that is key. Consider the size of your family and your vehicle's features. I talk all the time about "car seat tilt"—which is the ability to move a second-row seat out of the way to get to the third row while a car seat is still installed. That's so huge, but not every car has that. There are some infant car seats that you're able to just click in and out really quickly so you're not encumbering yourself trying to reach the third row, or rotating car seats so a child can walk around their rear-facing sibling. Just knowing that there are car seats with these types of features helps people purchase a seat that works best for their vehicle.Scotty: Is there truth to the belief that the bigger and heavier the car seat is, the safer the child will be?Sam: No, so that's a great question. I want to start by saying every single car seat that you can legally purchase in the United States is extremely protective in a crash. They all meet the same very, very stringent federal standard. While naturally if we were to rank them all, there is going to be a seat that may perform better in one mode of use versus another, we don't actually have any data to compare seats to each other. It's apples to oranges; that information is not shared publicly.That said, any seat that you are using is extremely safe. The most important thing you can do, no matter what seat you chose, is use it correctly. That makes the biggest difference, and that's within your power to control. You can control using that seat correctly if you have the right information. So instead of agonizing over whether you should get Seat A or Seat B to better protect your child, I want to say, "Hey, here's how you can best protect your child, and here's how to use that seat correctly and install that seat correctly."AdvertisementAdvertisementScotty: For someone who is struggling with the printed user manual, where else can they go for trustworthy guidance on installing a seat?Sam: One thing that the manufacturers have caught on to is that people are not able to get information as well from a manual as they can from a video interface. A lot of these manufacturers now have QR codes even on their car seats, or you can go to that manufacturer's website or YouTube channel and see videos directly from them on how to use that car seat correctly. While there are a lot of great videos from other creators out there, I do want to stress the importance of getting most of that information directly from the manufacturer because then we know it's accurate.Another great way to ensure you're using your car seat correctly is to get a car seat check. Seven out of ten car seats are not being used or installed correctly. You can meet with a child passenger safety technician in your town or even virtually—there are free virtual checks available. It takes 40 minutes of your day to ensure that your kids are riding safely every day after.Scotty: Where are CPSTs typically located, and how do parents find a certified technician?AdvertisementAdvertisementSam: Our certification is through Safe Kids Worldwide and they have a portal. If you search "Find a CPST," their portal will pop up. You can put in either your county, zip code, or state. Some locations do have certified child passenger safety techs at firehouses, police stations, or ambulance services, but not everywhere. It is a big misconception that if somebody shows up at a firehouse they can get help with their car seat. Firefighters are often very helpful and will probably try to help you either way, but we only want a CPST to be providing that information. So make sure that you're finding a certified tech.Read: Car Seats and Winter Coats Don't Mix: How to Keep Your Kids Safe and Cozy in Cold WeatherRead the Manual: What We Need to Know From a Car Seat's ManufacturerFind a child passenger car seat check to ensure your seats are properly installedScotty: What are the key things that parents should specifically look for in their car seat manual?Sam: Focus on the mode of use that you're using. If you're installing it rear-facing, start there. They're going to tell you: Do they want you to use a lower anchor installation or a seatbelt installation? Which one of those is preferred? They're going to tell you if you're able to use them together (almost always you cannot; there are a few exceptions). They're going to tell you how long your child can use each mode of use, when it's outgrown, and what recline the seat needs to be at. There's just a lot of little tweaks to a car seat installation or car seat use that's going to be in that section of your manual.Scotty: Car seat manufacturers also include an expiration date. What is that about?AdvertisementAdvertisementSam: Yeah, so that's the date that you should no longer use that car seat. I know it sounds crazy to have an expiration date, like it's a gallon of milk or something, but ultimately car seats are made of durable plastic components, but they do break down over time. If you think about it, your car seat could be installed in your vehicle for years on end. In the summer it gets so hot and that's going to start to degrade things over time. Or the expected amount of time you can open that buckle—there are very specific regulations about how much force needs to be applied for that buckle to open and close.Another thing is that car seats do get safer as the years go by; there's new technology that gets incorporated. While there are things that can be breaking down and degrading, there's also technology that's getting better, and eventually we wouldn't want to use a car seat that we saw from 1990, right? So it's a good thing that seats expire. It says don't use this anymore and ensures we're using something that's a little bit more modern and advanced.Scotty: And you should always buy your car seats new out of the box and not second-hand?Sam: That is the best practice recommendation: to use a new car seat. You never know what could be the history of a car seat on the side of the road or second-hand. Could it have been in a crash? We wouldn't want to use that seat. Was it cleaned harshly in a way that could make the fabric or the webbing more prone to failure? There are just so many unknowns. So it is best to use a new car seat. If you're going to use a secondhand car seat, get that seat from somebody that you trust with your child's safety—whether that's your sister-in-law or your best friend—and they can vouch for the history and the care of that car seat.What Considerations Should Families Make When It Comes To Choosing a Car for Kids Car Seats?The Chevrolet Suburban gave us plenty of room to install the kids car seatsScotty: Let's shift the conversation to cars. What kinds of considerations should families be thinking about when they're expecting a child and evaluating how car seats will fit in their car?AdvertisementAdvertisementSam: When you are expecting your first child, more than likely there is a car seat that will work well with your vehicle. You can always put a car seat behind the passenger seat if you're tight on space. Look at your vehicle's limitations and try to select a car seat to work with them, because if you don't have it in the budget for a new car, it's a lot easier to purchase a new car seat.But if you do have the budget for a new car, think about what your family could look like for the duration of time you're going to own or lease that vehicle. While it may be really easy to fit one child or perhaps even two, by the time you need to fit three, it's really hard to do three car seats across in a lot of cars. It's really hard to access a child in the third row in a lot of cars. So just forecasting what your personal circumstances may look like and thinking how the car seat will fit into that is helpful.You're looking at maybe how many tether anchors are available in your vehicle and where they're available. Maybe looking at how you access that third row with a car seat installed. You're going to look at that car on the dealer lot and you're like, "Yeah, look, there's so much space, I can climb right back here!" But how are you going to climb back there with the car seat? Is it a rear-facing car seat? Is there enough clearance in the second row to accommodate a rear-facing car seat?And then a feature that I would love to see in more third rows is lower anchors. I'm putting my booster-age kids in the third row. While you can absolutely use a booster seat without using lower anchors, it's important to secure a booster when your child's not in the car because it could become a projectile in a crash. I don't want that hitting my kid in the second row after I drop off my big kids at school, and I know that they're not going to remember to buckle in that booster. It would be so nice if there were a lower anchor to attach that booster to in the third row.Scotty: What is your advice to families trying to accommodate multiple rear-facing kids in a three-row SUV?Sam: Try and see what works for you, but also be open to having different types of car seats. Rotating car seats make that convenience factor so much easier. You can put a rear-facing child in your third row, rotate the seat forward-facing to harness them, and then spin it around—and now you have a rear-facing kid that you weren't climbing through the trunk to try and harness!Talking about supporting families where they are in real life: the best practice recommendation is to rear-face as long as possible until you hit one of the maximum limits on your car seat (height, weight, or head clearance). But it is also safe to forward-face your child when you meet your state law and that car seat's minimums. All car seats currently being sold have a 26.5-pound minimum forward-facing weight, and some have an age minimum like age two. If you do meet those minimum forward-facing recommendations, it is in fact a safe choice to forward-face.While rear-facing is absolutely safer, it's still a safe choice to forward-face. If you're trying to harness three rear-facing kids across a tiny five-passenger vehicle and you're not able to get the harness tight enough on the middle child, it would be safer to forward-face them and have better access to ensure proper harness fit. I want people to consider their own perspective and circumstances when making those choices.Scotty: Showing parents actual crash test footage really helps drive home the importance of proper installation and keeping kids rear-facing longer.Sam: There was just a series of videos released providing a visual for what a car seat looks like in a crash when it's being used correctly versus when it's not. Having caregivers see that in front of them was much more convincing than just telling them, "Hey, your car seat needs to be installed tightly." When a seat is installed tightly, the child's body is well protected. When it's loose, they move significantly more and risk hitting their head. Those videos are really impactful.Scotty: What strategies do you have for parents dealing with toddlers who fight getting into their car seat?Sam: First, look at your child's comfort. A lot of times when kids are fighting the car seat, there is something making them uncomfortable. Doing a fit check with a CPST might reveal that padding can come out to give them more space, or the harness needs adjusting.As far as behavioral resistance goes, I love to keep car-specific toys in my vehicle so they only get them when they're in the car seat. It's a special item—like a busy book—that they don't get at home.Another thing that really helps is a rotating car seat. It is so much easier to harness a squirming child when they are facing you directly. There is actually research being done right now looking at how rotating seats help reduce installation and harnessing misuse, and the preliminary information is really promising.Lightning Round: Fast Facts From SamSlide and tilt seats make 3rd row access easier and preserve a child car seat's installationScotty: When must a baby transition out of an infant car seat carrier?Sam: They have to come out of that seat when they meet any one of the maximum limits: maximum height, maximum weight, or when there is less than one inch of space between the top of their head and the top of the car seat shell. But you can transition them to a convertible seat earlier at your convenience if carrying the bucket seat becomes too heavy!Scotty: If you only have one child in a car seat, where is the best place in the car to install it?Sam: Wherever you get the best, tightest installation. If you can get a proper installation in all positions, the center position is furthest from any potential point of impact. But it's more important to place it where the installation is best. Also consider logistics—like whether you will be loading the child on the sidewalk side versus the street side of traffic.Scotty: How long should children remain rear-facing?Sam: Best practice advice from the AAP is to remain rear-facing until one of the maximum limits on the car seat is met (height or weight). Bent legs are not a reason to turn a child forward-facing. Kids are very flexible and perfectly comfortable sitting crisscross.Scotty: What should parents look for when moving a child from a harness seat to a booster seat?Sam: General guidelines are about age five, at least 40 pounds, and about 43 inches tall. But what we're really looking for is maturity. Does that child have the maturity to sit correctly for the entire ride without leaning forward, reaching for toys, or moving the seatbelt out of position? When they move to a booster, they lose the physical containment of a harness, so maturity is critical.Scotty: When can a child safely move to the front passenger seat?Sam: It is recommended to keep all children in the back seat through age 12; on their 13th birthday, they may move to the front seat. Children remain much safer in the back seat away from front airbag deployment.Scotty: What is the "Five-Step Test" for moving out of a booster seat entirely?Sam: The five-step test assesses if the adult seatbelt fits properly without a booster:The child sits all the way back against the vehicle seat back.Their knees bend comfortably over the edge of the seat cushion.The shoulder belt rests flat across the middle of the collarbone and chest.The lap belt sits low across the upper thighs and hips (not the stomach).The child can maintain this position comfortably for the whole trip with feet flat on the floor.Scotty: What do you want your four children to take away from the work you do?Sam: I hope they see that the time I spend working is worthwhile. I want to help other children ride safely and help families feel empowered and confident in their choices. I hope they see that at the end of the day, this work helps keep other families and children safe.Thank you Sam!