A child safety seat configured for installation in a vehicle may include a base and a seat that includes a bottom, whereby the seat is connected to the base along an axis. The base and the seat together define a cavity that is disposed therebetween and the seat bottom is configured to rotate about the axis that connects the seat to the base during a frontal impact such that the seat bottom advances into the cavity. The safety seat may include energy absorbing member disposed within the cavity wherein the energy absorbing member is configured to be deformed as the seat bottom advances into the cavity during frontal impact. The energy absorbing member may be deformed by substantially vertical movement of the seat bottom into the cavity.