Beyond the fact that it's an all-electric luxury car, one of the surprising things about the Tesla Model S, is that it can seat seven.

You can safely bring a newborn home from the hospital in any one of the 29 infant car seats from Consumer Reports' tests. Some of the seats we tested cost $200 or more but others are half that price. Spending less can still buy you a seat that performs well in a crash as we discovered in our tough tests but you may need to work harder to get a secure installation or to make adjustments as your baby grows as some lower-cost seats don't include as many ease-of-use features.

Parents need to catch up to the safety advances in car seats and learn how to install them correctly, according to a study released this week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Although all vehicles and car seats made since 2002 come with an anchor and simple strap meant to keep a car seat from tipping forward, the safety feature gets used just a little more than half the time. Consumer Reports' dynamic testing of car seats clearly shows that using the strap for forward-facing child restraints significantly reduces the potential for injury.

There's a reason that safety experts recommend keeping your child in an age-appropriate child restraint as long as possible before graduating to the next type. Moving the youngster to a less restrictive car seat too soon can be a step backward in terms of safety. This is especially true with booster seats that can be used with the car's three-point seat belt rather than a harness. In Consumer Reports recent tests of booster seats, we found that 80 percent of manufacturers suggest a weight limit typical of a child well under three, which is too young for a booster seat.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies born before 37 weeks undergo an assessment called the Infant Car Seat Challenge (ICSC) before discharge from the hospital. This test determines whether a baby is able to safely ride in the semi-reclined position of a car seat. And a new study shows that not all babies are being appropriately screened.

The new Toyota RAV4 is practical, fuel efficient, spacious, and, overall, a really easy car to live with. But there's one thing that is unexpectedly complicated: child seat installations.

The Tesla Model S continues to entertain us with its engaging driving characteristics and wicked speed. And now, it provides three-row seating in an electric sport sedan—an ability more often associated with some fuel-guzzling SUVs.

Booster seats are the best way to keep your child safe in the car after he or she outgrows a harnessed child seat but is too small to correctly fit a vehicle's seat belt. The use of any booster seat will improve your child's safety, and likely his comfort as well. Chances are, however, that a high-back booster seat will be better on both fronts than a backless booster. (See our latest booster car seat Ratings.)

With winter upon us, it's a good time for a reminder of how to safely transport children in the cold weather while still keeping them warm.

Finding a booster seat that correctly fits your child is easier than ever according to a new report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Institute has released their annual list of the best-fitting booster seats for children age 4 to 8 years old and found that 15 of the 17 new for 2012 models earn the top rating of Best Bet by the IIHS.

Car crashes are the number one killer of children in the United States between one and 13 years old. A new study published today by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reveals why kids are at risk—too few parents are using child safety seats or are using the incorrect seats, and too many are letting their kids ride up front.

Hand-me downs are a part of growing up in many families. It can be a great way to save money, but not all things should be shared equally. For instance, child seats can be passed down, though there are key restrictions to keep in mind.

Only about one in five late-model cars have easy-to-use LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) anchor systems, according to new report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The study was conducted with the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) on how vehicle design could influence a parent's or caregiver's ability to easily and successfully install child restraints in their car. Clearly, having the restraints in the car is a key first step, but unless they are simple to use, many parents may not use the LATCH or don't install the child safety seats correctly.

Britax Child Safety is recalling about 14,220 Chaperone infant car seats because a defect in the harness adjuster can result in ineffective safety harness straps, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported today.

Drivers in various states around the country will need to be aware of some new driving laws that affect seat belts and cell phone use that go into effect on January 1st.