Abstract: A child/infant safety seat provides improved occupant protection, especially in a vehicle equipped with a passenger-side air bag when the seat is positioned with the occupant facing rearward. The safety seat includes a head protector configured to deflect a forward facing portion of the seat downward upon interaction with an inflating air bag. The child safety seat, when occupied, has a center of gravity that causes a belt retaining the seat to be tightened for proper retention of the child seat during a collision and subsequent air bag inflation. The child safety seat can include one or more longitudinal members to strengthen the seat, provide additional head and torso protection, and transfer impact forces away from the head protector.