Arizona Child Restraint Laws for Boosters
Arizona possesses possibly the most liberal child restraint law in the country being only one of three states that has no child restraint requirements for over the age of 5. Considering that they have no seat belt requirements, Arizona extends that freedom to their thoughts on booster seats. New legislation is in the works to expand the requirements but, for now, Arizona really only has one requirement for booster seats in cars.
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Age
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Any child 5 years of age and under must be restrained in a car seat or booster seat. There is no specific type of child seat regulation per stage of height or weight. To date, no laws are in place that require children over the age of 5 to be restrained with an adult safety belt or any other device. There is also no restriction on riding in the front seat or the backseat. The maximum fine for a first offense in 2010 is $50.
Pending Legistlation
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According to AAA Arizona, new legislation, Senate Bill 1010, has been passed through a Senate hearing with a 6-0 vote. If made law, Bill 1010 will increase the age for child restraint requirements to 9 years old. It will also add a height requirement of 4 feet 9 inches. This will allow children to grow tall enough to safely ride in adult safety belts. Children who fall under the age of 9 or under 4 feet 9 inches tall will be required to be in a booster seat while in a motor vehicle.
AAA Arizona is in support of this bill. In a poll taken by the organization, 76 percent of responders also support the law, while 92 percent of those who responded believe that Arizona is obligated to strengthen child restraint laws.
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Recommendations
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Even if there are minimal child restraint requirements, as in Arizona, it is wise to keep children restrained in a moving vehicle at all times. Car seats and booster seats are designed to keep children from harm's way in the event of an accident. If there is any doubt about the safety requirements for child restraints, follow the height and weight requirements on the car seat or booster seat. Proper installation of car seats is key to keeping children safe if something unforeseen happens. Most car seat and booster seat instructions also encourage children to ride the backseat of the car to increase protection.
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- Photo Credit child in the car image by Natalia Pavlova from Fotolia.com
