Child Door Locks, Window Locks and Other Built-In Car Safety Features: A Family Checklist
Car seats get most of the attention, but your vehicle has its own child-safety features that are easy to forget about. Here is what to find, how to think about each one, and where your owner's manual comes in.
Once the car seat is installed and checked, it's easy to think the job is done. But young kids explore everything in reach: door handles, window switches, seat belts, the trunk. Most vehicles already have features that help, and they cost nothing to use. You just have to know they're there.
Everything below varies by vehicle, so your owner's manual is the final word. Look for a section usually called "child safety," "child restraints" or "child locks."
Rear door child safety locks
Most passenger vehicles with rear doors have a child safety lock on each rear door. When it's on, the door can't be opened from the inside, only from the outside. It's usually a small switch or a slot you turn with the key, on the edge of the door that's hidden when the door is closed. Some newer vehicles control it electronically from a button near the driver.
- Find the lock on each rear door using the owner's manual
- Turn it on for any door next to a child who can reach the handle
- Test it: close the door and try the inside handle
- Remember that adults in the back can't open the door from inside either, so tell passengers
Sliding doors on minivans usually have child locks too. Our guide to car seats in minivans covers minivan layouts.
Power window locks
The driver's door usually has a window lock button that disables the rear window switches. Turning it on prevents kids from opening windows while you drive and reduces the chance of fingers, hands or arms getting caught as a window closes.
Power window systems in the US are covered by a federal standard, FMVSS 118, and some windows in some vehicles have an auto-reverse feature that stops or reverses when it meets resistance. Don't assume yours do. Check the owner's manual for which windows, if any, have it, and teach older kids to keep hands inside the car.
Unused seat belts within a child's reach
Children sometimes pull out a nearby unused seat belt and play with it. In many vehicles, pulling a belt all the way out switches the retractor into a locking mode that only lets the belt get shorter, which can make a belt wrapped around a child hard to loosen.
Some vehicle and car seat manuals give advice about unused belts near a child, such as buckling them or keeping them out of reach. Check your vehicle manual, and talk it through with a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician at your car seat check. Don't buckle anything behind or under a car seat unless the manuals say to.
For background on locking modes, see our guide to lock-offs, locking clips and switchable retractors.
It's also worth keeping an emergency seat belt cutter within the driver's reach, mounted or stored where it can't become a loose object. Seat belt cutter tools are small and inexpensive; check the current price.
Trunks, parked cars and keys
Children have climbed into parked cars and trunks and been unable to get out. A few habits reduce that risk:
- Lock the car when it's parked, including in your own driveway or garage
- Keep keys and fobs out of reach of children
- Fold-down rear seats: keep them latched so kids can't climb from the cabin into the trunk
- Know your internal trunk release. Many sedans have a glow-in-the-dark release handle inside the trunk. Show older kids where it is
- If a child is missing, check cars and trunks quickly
Rear seat reminders and heat
Many vehicles have a rear seat reminder that alerts you to check the back seat if a rear door was opened before the trip. It's helpful, but it isn't a guarantee: the logic varies by vehicle, and it may not trigger in every situation. Pair it with your own habit, like putting your phone or bag in the back seat, or always opening the rear door when you arrive.
Never leave a child alone in a vehicle, even briefly. Our summer heat guide covers this in depth.
Airbags and the front seat
The back seat is the recommended place for children. A rear-facing car seat should never go in front of an active front airbag. Your vehicle manual explains its airbag system, including any passenger airbag status lights or switches and any limits on car seats in the front seat. Our article on when a child can sit in the front seat covers the guidance.
Loose objects and the cabin
In a crash, anything loose in the cabin keeps moving. Heavy bags, water bottles, tablets and tools can hit passengers. Keep heavy items in the trunk, use soft organizers for small items, and see our loose objects checklist for a full list.
Shop trunk organizers Shop backseat organizers
The full family car checklist
| Feature | Where to find it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Rear door child locks | Edge of each rear door, or a driver control | Turn on for doors next to children; test |
| Window lock | Driver's door switch panel | Turn on while kids ride; look before closing windows |
| Window auto-reverse | Owner's manual | Learn which windows have it, if any |
| Unused seat belts | Owner's manual, child safety section | Follow the manual's advice; ask a technician |
| Internal trunk release | Inside the trunk lid area on many sedans | Show older kids; keep fold-down seats latched |
| Rear seat reminder | Vehicle settings / manual | Learn how it works; keep your own habit too |
| Airbag system | Owner's manual | Children in the back; never rear-facing in front of an active airbag |
| Tether anchors and lower anchors | Owner's manual, child restraint section | Use as the car seat and vehicle manuals describe |
Habits to teach as kids get older
- Hands and arms stay inside the car
- Only a grown-up opens doors, and only on the curb side
- Seat belts aren't toys
- The car isn't a play space when it's parked
- Everyone buckles before the car moves, every time
Rear side window shades can also keep kids from fiddling with windows out of boredom on sunny drives. Shop window sunshades
FAQ
Where is the child lock on a car door?
On most vehicles it's a small switch or key slot on the edge of each rear door, visible only when the door is open. Some vehicles control it electronically. Your owner's manual shows the exact location.
Do all power windows have auto-reverse?
No. Some windows in some vehicles have it and others don't. Check your owner's manual, use the driver's window lock, and always look before closing a window.
What should I do about the unused seat belt next to my child's car seat?
Check your vehicle manual's child safety section, which may give specific advice, and ask a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician during your car seat check.
Is a rear seat reminder enough to prevent leaving a child in the car?
It helps, but it isn't foolproof. Use your own habit too, like keeping your bag or phone in the back seat, and never leave a child alone in a vehicle.
Can kids open the door if the child lock is on?
Not from the inside. A child lock lets the door open only from the outside, so an adult needs to open it for them.
The bottom line
The car seat protects your child in a crash; your vehicle's built-in features help prevent the everyday dangers around it. Spend fifteen minutes with your owner's manual: turn on the rear child locks, use the window lock, learn your trunk release and rear seat reminder, and ask a certified technician about unused seat belts at your next car seat check.