|  | Public Health Safety | Traveling Safety

The Law for Children's Car Seats

Children must be restrained in a car seat when riding in an automobile. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates three out of four children in child safety seats are not properly secured or not restrained in any way.

  1. The Law

    • Any child weighing 65 pounds or less must be in a restraint that has been specifically designed for a child while riding in a motor vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

    Car Seats

    • Infants should ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are 1 year of age and weigh 20 pounds, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toddlers may ride in a forward-facing car seat once they reach 1 year of age and weigh 20 pounds until they are 4 years old and weigh 40 pounds. Once a child has outgrown his forward-facing car seat, he should sit in a booster seat in the back seat of the car until he weighs 80 pounds and is 4 feet, 9 inches tall.

    Safety

    • Caregivers should read the car seat manual carefully because each manufacturers' instructions for use may vary slightly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) system is available in all cars manufactured in 2002 or later and was created to securely fasten a car seat into a car with ease and reduce the number of incorrectly installed car seats.

Traveling Safety - Related Articles