In short
- Before the drive: feed, change, dress in thin layers, cool or warm the car, fit a sun shade.
- During the drive: calm, steady sound and, if you can, an adult in the back next to the baby.
- Never: take the baby out of the car seat while moving; the driver doesn't look at or tap a phone.
- See a doctor: for fever, vomiting, an unusual cry, or crying that can't be soothed outside the car too.
Not medical advice: a parent wrote this guide, summarising the recommendations of professional bodies; if you are worried, talk to your paediatrician.
Why do babies cry in the car?
Babies cry in the car for the same reasons as anywhere else, except that in a car seat we can't pick them up and rock them. The most common reasons are hunger, a full nappy, tiredness, heat or cold, sun in the eyes, tight or twisted straps, and not being able to see anyone from a rear-facing seat.
- Hunger or wind: even a short drive feels long to a hungry baby or one who didn't burp after a feed.
- Temperature: a car heats up quickly in summer; in winter a baby in a thick coat under the straps is overdressed and not safely buckled.
- Tiredness: an overtired baby struggles to fall asleep, especially with the noise and bumps of the road.
- Feeling alone: in a rear-facing infant carrier the baby sees only the back of the seat.
- Discomfort: twisted or loose straps, bunched-up clothes, sun through the side window.
What helps before you set off?
Before a drive, it helps most if the baby is fed, dry and dressed right, and the car is neither too hot nor too cold. If you can choose, leave when the baby is full and sleepy, not just before a feed is due.
- Feed the baby and wait for a burp; change the nappy just before you leave.
- Dress the baby in thin layers. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP, 2025) warns that bulky coats and snowsuits should not be worn under car seat straps; put a blanket or coat over the buckled harness instead.
- In summer air or cool the car first; in winter warm it before the baby goes in.
- Fit a sun shade on the side window so the sun doesn't shine in the baby's eyes.
- Check the straps against the car seat's instructions: snug, not twisted, at the right height.
What helps during the drive?
During the drive, calm and steady sound settles many babies: white noise, a lullaby, quiet music or a parent singing. An adult in the back seat helps even more, talking to the baby, holding a hand or offering a dummy.
Keep the sound moderate, because a car is already noisy. We made the Zibko app for exactly this, for drives with our five-month-old son: Drive mode plays a lullaby, calm music or white noise, a dark, slow picture fades out after 10, 15 or 30 minutes while the sound keeps playing, and touches on the screen do nothing, so nothing calls for the driver. Volume starts at 60 % and never goes above 80 %.
If the baby keeps crying despite everything, stop somewhere safe, take the baby out of the car seat, feed or comfort them, and buckle them in properly again before you drive on. A stop is safer than a driver distracted by crying.
What is safe and what isn't when a baby cries in the car?
Anything that calms the baby while they stay properly buckled in the car seat and the driver keeps their eyes on the road is safe. Anything that takes the baby out of the car seat, or the driver's attention off the road, is not.
| Safe | Not safe |
|---|---|
| Stopping somewhere safe and comforting the baby there | Taking the baby out of the car seat, or breastfeeding, while the car moves |
| A rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, up to the seat's limits (AAP, 2018) | An infant carrier on the front seat in front of an active airbag |
| A phone in a fixed holder on the front-seat headrest | A phone or toy loose on the seat or in the baby's hands |
| Sound started before the drive that needs nothing from the driver | A driver searching for songs or looking at a screen while driving |
| Thin layers, a blanket over the straps | A thick coat or snowsuit under the straps |
| A screen far from the face, dark and slow, or none at all | A bright, fast screen right in front of the baby's face |
A rear-facing car seat is the safest place for a baby. The AAP (2018) recommends that children ride rear-facing as long as possible, until they reach the highest weight or height the seat allows. In Europe, UN Regulation No. 129 (i-Size) requires rear-facing travel until at least 15 months, and EU Directive 2003/20/EC prohibits a rear-facing seat in a seat protected by an active frontal airbag.
Is a screen in the car OK for a baby?
A screen in the car is not recommended for babies under 18 months. The World Health Organization (2019 guidelines) recommends no screen time for infants under 1 year, and the AAP (2016) advises avoiding screen media other than video-chatting under 18 months. So in the car, let sound do most of the calming.
If you do use a phone in the car, keep it in a fixed holder on the front-seat headrest, never loose in the car or right in front of the baby's face, with the brightness turned down. In Zibko the default picture is dark and very slow (nothing moves faster than once in 10 seconds), with no flashes or rewards, and after the chosen time it fades out over 60 seconds.
How long can a baby stay in a car seat?
No single rule says how long a baby can stay in a car seat, so on longer journeys plan breaks and follow the car seat maker's instructions. The World Health Organization (2019) recommends that infants are not restrained for more than 1 hour at a time; the WHO guideline doesn't mention cars specifically, but gives a sensible frame for planning stops.
- Plan a stop about every hour on long journeys, and sooner if the baby needs a feed or a change.
- At the stop, take the baby out of the car seat, feed, change and give them a few minutes to stretch.
- Buckle the baby in properly again before you drive on.
- A baby who fell asleep in the car seat should sleep on a flat surface at home, not in the infant carrier.
When should you see a doctor about a baby crying in the car?
See a doctor if the baby also cries outside the car and can't be soothed, or if the crying comes with signs of illness. For a baby under 3 months, a temperature of 38 °C or higher needs a doctor straight away (NICE NG143, 2019).
- fever, vomiting, diarrhoea or refusing feeds;
- fewer wet nappies than usual;
- an unusual cry: very high-pitched, weak or different from usual;
- difficulty breathing, unusual sleepiness or being hard to wake;
- crying for hours every day, not only in the car.
If the crying pushes you to the edge, that is normal: stop somewhere safe, step out for a minute and breathe. Never shake a baby; shaking can cause serious brain injury.
Baby struggling to sleep at home too? Read White noise for babies: how loud, how far and how long.
Sources
- Durbin DR, Hoffman BD; AAP Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Child Passenger Safety. Pediatrics. 2018;142(5):e20182460. PubMed
- American Academy of Pediatrics. Winter Car Seat Safety Tips, HealthyChildren.org, updated 28 February 2025. healthychildren.org
- World Health Organization. Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for children under 5 years of age, 2019. who.int
- AAP Council on Communications and Media. Media and Young Minds. Pediatrics. 2016;138(5):e20162591. PubMed
- UN Regulation No. 129 on child restraint systems (i-Size) and Directive 2003/20/EC on the use of safety belts and child restraint systems. EUR-Lex
- NICE. Fever in under 5s: assessment and initial management (NG143), 2019. nice.org.uk