Car seat handle up or down when driving?

draven

I have the Graco Snugride Infant Car Seat.  I went to get mine inspected before I had our baby and the police officer told me that the handle was to be upright when driving.  We went and got my husbands inspected this morning and a different police officer said it was to be down when driving.  I'm trying to find information on which way is correct and thought I would reach out to this community since I always get such great help on here.

How do you have it?

Dr.Loretta

Down

MrsRebecca

I don't have the Graco but my seat has instructions right on the handle about which way it should be. Mine is down.

ajanes

Double check your manual, but I'm pretty sure for a Snugride, either are fine.  Some brands tell you they must be up, some down.  I'm pretty sure either are fine.  The thought with it being down, is that in a crash the car seat will fold up to the back of the seat.  This will "cocoon" the baby protecting it in a crash.  The handle would stop that action.  However, makers have to test for either scenario.  If the manual says it can be left up, it passed tests that way.  Some seats, like the Peg Perego seats, stipulate that the handle must be down.

jkfranklin

ajanes:

Double check your manual, but I'm pretty sure for a Snugride, either are fine.  Some brands tell you they must be up, some down.  I'm pretty sure either are fine.  The thought with it being down, is that in a crash the car seat will fold up to the back of the seat.  This will "cocoon" the baby protecting it in a crash.  The handle would stop that action.  However, makers have to test for either scenario.  If the manual says it can be left up, it passed tests that way.  Some seats, like the Peg Perego seats, stipulate that the handle must be down.

They told us this when we left the hospital.

liza0828

I have a snugride and the inspector said it should be down, but honestly, I can't see how it would make much difference.

naflmj

We also have this seat and were told it either needed to be down or in the most upright position. The usuers manual also verifies this.

draven

I called Graco directly and they said for the Snug Rides it can be either up or down (in positions A and D only - not B or C) but the "cocoon" theory makes sense.  I had it up with my first (who is not even two so it wasn't that long ago) because I thought it was like a row bar for a convertible car and would protect her more if the car seat was ever ejected from the car but that scenario seems more unlikely that the other.