Kids Car Seat Laws
Motor vehicle accidents kill children, The Safe Kids Worldwide program reports that "car crashes remain the number one killer of children ages 3-14 in the United States." (Child Passenger Safety Flyer. 2006). The Safe Kids Program outlines a four-step guideline that assists parents in providing safe seating for their children until they are at least eight years old and 4'9" tall.
Other People Are Reading
-
Step One
-
Infants need to be in a rear-facing car seat until one year of age and weighing at least 20 pounds. Current age and weight guidelines are being re-considered, with the possibility of rear-facing seating until the age of two and a weight of thirty pounds becoming the new guideline.
Step Two
-
Toddlers can use a forward facing seat: Either a combo seat or a convertible seat can be used. It is important to know and understand the weight and height limits on the toddler seat and to be aware of your child's weight and height. These two physical guidelines are two of the key elements used to determine when your child is ready to move into a booster seat.
-
Step Three
-
Booster seats are used in cooperation with your vehicle's own lap and shoulder safety belt. Again it is important to know the height and weight limits of your child's booster seat and to know the weight and height of your child. If you child outgrows the physical limitations of the booster seat, you must purchase a larger seat in order to provide safe transportation for your child.
Step Four
-
Standard Vehicle Safety Belts are safe to use for your child's restraint once your child has reached the age of eight or 4'9" tall. Before transitioning your child out of their booster seat, have your child sit all the way back on the vehicle seat, notice if their knees bend naturally at the edge of the seat. Check the lap and shoulder belt and make sure that it rests across your child's hips or upper legs. Make sure the shoulder belt rests on the collarbone or shoulder, not across the child's neck. Never put the shoulder harness under the child's arm or allow it to rest on the neck, as in an emergency this will increase the chance of injury for your child.
It's the Law
-
Every child, at every age, needs to be safely belted into a moving vehicle. Whether it is a rear-facing, toddler seat, booster or vehicle safety belt, no child should be in a moving car without an appropriate safety restraint. For safety sake, never allow a child under the age of twelve to ride in the front seat of your car unless you have no other choice. This is the least safe location for a child passenger.
Warning
-
Never buy a child safety seat from a garage sale, thrift store or second-hand store. Children's car safety seats are not safe after having been in an automobile crash, when you purchase a second hand car seat you do not have the safety history and could be unknowingly putting your child at risk. Children's seats have a six-year life span and should be replaced, regardless of their condition, at the end of the six years.
-
