DEAR SERGEANT AL: I have another child on the way in four months
and a baby shower in three weeks, so I’m starting to anticipate things I may
need if I don’t get them at the baby’s shower, one of them is a car child
restraint seat. Have the rules for restraining babies in a car changed and what
kind of child seat should I get? –DEALING
IN ANOTHER PREPARED EXECUTED RESTRAINED REACTION: ANOTHER SON COMING in the HOSPITAL.
DEAR DIAPER RASCH: Congratulations on the upcoming tot. I found this
super excellent chart from the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration that gives you a state-by-state run down of
child restraint laws throughout the United States, so you can check to see if
the laws have changed since you had your last baby:
The interesting thing I found on this chart
if you look above at the last column is there are actually states that allow
children to ride in the cargo area of a pickup truck; not a safe thing to do in
my opinion.
I copied this great guide
below and put the URL here from healthychildren.org on the classification of
different car seats for the size and ages as your child grows. Some important rules
of thumb:
1.
Rear-facing seats should go in the rear seat whenever possible, and if
there’s a front airbag, NEVER IN THE FRONT SEAT. Front forward seats can go in
the front ONLY if the front seat has NO airbag.
2.
Make sure you follow the instructions carefully and make sure the
belts fit TIGHTLY.
3.
Replace the current seat only when the child has outgrown the seat
then you should go ahead and replace it.
4.
Other than blankets, blanket rolls, or a diaper you can insert to make
the child more comfortable, never add cushion, supports, lifts, or any other
kind of add-on or enhancement unless the attachment came with and/or was made
for the seat.
5.
Make sure nothing interferes with the child’s breathing, airway, etc.,
and nothing is in the way of the child’s head that during an impact or evasive
maneuver:
Appendix C – State Child Restraint Laws1
| State | Rear Safety Belts Required2 | Child Safety Seat Required | May Use Child Safety Seat or Safety Belt | Max Fine4 | Points | Major Exemptions to Child Passenger Laws6 | Children Allowed in Cargo Area of Pickups? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | <6 yrs | <4 yrs | Ages 4-5 yrs | $10 | To trucks or buses weighing>1 ton | Yes | |
| AK | <16 yrs | <4 yrs | $50 | 2 | None | No | |
| AZ | <16 yrs | <5 yrs | Age 5-15 yrs | $10 | All vehicle belts in use | ||
| AR | <15 yrs | Age 6 yrs & >60 lbs | Age 6 yrs or >60 lbs | $100 | None | ||
| CA | <16 yrs | <6 yrs or <60 lbs | $100 | 1 | None | ||
| CO | <16 yrs | <4 yrs & <40 lbs & >4 yrs & <6 yrs & <55" tall17 | Ages 6-15 & >40 lbs & 55" tall | $56 | Transported in motor vehicle as a result of a medical emergency | Yes, if sitting & tailgate closed | |
| CT | <16 yrs | <4 yrs and <60 lbs | 40 lbs & over | $60 | 2 | None | No |
| DE | <16 yrs3 | <6 yrs | 60 lbs & over | $20 | 2 | No major exemptions | No |
| DC | <16 yrs | <8 yrs | Ages 8 yrs-16 yrs | $150 | 3 | All vehicle belts in use7 | No |
| FL | <16 yrs | <4 yrs | Age 4-5 yrs | $60 | 3 | None | No |
| GA | <16 yrs | <5 yrs | Not permissible | $50 | 1 | May use belt if age 5 and over | If on non-interstate roadway |
| HI | <18 yrs | <3 yrs | Age 4 yrs | $100 | All vehicle belts in use7 | No13 | |
| ID | >4 and <18 yrs | <4 yrs or <40 lbs | >4 or >40 lbs | $60 | All vehicle belts in use7,8 | Yes | |
| IL | <16 yrs | <8 yrs | Ages 4-15 yrs, all seating positions | $50 | None | Yes | |
| IN | <12 yrs | <4 yrs | Ages 4-16 yrs, all seating positions & vehicles | $25 | 4 | Vehicle registered out of State | <16 yrs not allowed |
| IA | <11 yrs | <6 yrs21 | Ages 6-10 yrs | $25 | Motorcycles, school buses, emergency vehicles & medical reasons per physician | Yes | |
| KS | <14 yrs | <4 yrs | $20 | All vehicle belts in use | If >13 yrs | ||
| KY | <16 yrs | 40" & Under | $50 | None | Yes | ||
| LA | <13 yrs | <6 yrs or 60 lbs | Ages 3-13 yrs | $100 | Ambulances, school buses, church buses, commerical vehicles | If >11 yrs | |
| ME | <12 yrs, <100 lbs | <8 yrs | Ages 4-17 yrs, <12 & 100 lbs | $60 | All vehicle belts in use9 | <16 yrs not allowed | |
| MD | <16 yrs | <6 yrs | >40 lbs | $25 | All vehicle belts in use, vehicle registered out of State exempt | No | |
| MA | <13 yrs | <5 yrs or <60 lbs | >Age 5 yrs | $25 | None | If >16 yrs | |
| MI | <16 yrs | <4 yrs | $15 | All vehicle belts in use7 | No12,13 | ||
| MN | <11 yrs | <4 yrs | $50 | Child being nursed | No12,14 | ||
| MS | <8 yrs | <4 yrs | $25 | See footnote20 | Yes | ||
| MO | <16 yrs | <4 yrs | Ages 4-15 may use safety belts | $25 | No | ||
| MT | <16 yrs | <2 yrs | Ages 2-6 or <60 lbs | Up to $100 | No more than 3 CSS required in a vehicle; physical or medical reasons per physician | No13,14 | |
| NE | <16 yrs | <6 yrs | $25 | Medical reasons per physician, emergency vehicles, taxi cabs | No | ||
| NV | <16 yrs | <6 yrs, <80 lbs, & <55" | $500 | Public transportation | No | ||
| NH | <18 yrs | <6 yrs | $25 | None | No | ||
| NJ | <18 yrs | <8 yrs or 80 lbs | $25 | All vehicle belts in use7 | No | ||
| NM | <16 yrs | <1-4 yrs18 | Ages 5-12 yrs | $25 | All vehicle belts in use19 | No, if <18 | |
| NY | <16 yrs | <4 yrs | $100 | 3 | None | Yes15 | |
| NC | <16 yrs | <5 yrs, <40 lbs | Ages 5-15 yrs | Child's personal needs being attended to | If >11 yrs12,14,16 | ||
| ND | <18 yrs | <4 yrs | Ages 4-17 yrs | 1 | All vehicle belts in use by family members, or transported in an emergency situation | Yes | |
| OH | <4 yrs or <60 lbs | <4 yrs or <60 lbs | $100 | Vehicle registered out of State | If traveling <25 mph12 | ||
| OK | <13 | <6 yrs | >6 but <13 | $25 | All vehicle belts in use | Yes | |
| OR | <16 yrs20 | <4 yrs or <40 lbs | Age 6 yrs & >60 lbs | $94 | None unless all belted positions taken | Yes | |
| PA | <16 yrs | <4 yrs | $25 | None | Yes | ||
| RI | <17 yrs | <7 yrs & 54" & 80 lbs in Federally Approved Child Restraint System in back seat | Age 7 yrs or older | $75 | All vehicle belts in use | No, up to age 16 | |
| SC | <17 yrs | <5 yrs or <80 lbs | >1 but <6 years | $25 | If all vehicle belts in use | Yes | |
| SD | <18 yrs | <5 yrs & <40 lbs | Ages 5-17, & > 40 lbs | $20 | None | Yes | |
| TN | <18 yrs | <4 yrs25 | $505 | All vehicle belts in use8,10 | If >5 yrs or moving <20 mph | ||
| TX | <17 yrs | <4 yrs or <36" | Ages 4-16 yrs | $200 | All vehicle belts in use | <17 yrs not allowed | |
| UT | <19 yrs | <5 yrs | Ages 5-18 yrs | $45 | All vehicle belts in use, physical or medical reasons per physician | No | |
| VT | <16 yrs | <8 yrs | $25 | All vehicle belts in use11 | Yes | ||
| VA | <16 yrs | <5 yrs | Ages 6-15 | $50 | 3 | No major exemptions | Yes |
| WA | <16 yrs | <6 yrs or <60 lbs | Ages 6-16 yrs23 | $101 | No major exemptions24 | Yes | |
| WV | <16 yrs | <3 yrs | Ages 3-8 yrs | $20 | All vehicle belts in use | No | |
| WI | <8 yrs | <4 yrs | Ages 4-8 yrs | $75 | Attending to child's personal needs | No14 | |
| WY | <12 yrs | <8 yrs & <80 lbs properly secured in CRS in back seat22 | Ages 5-11 yrs | $50 | Physician provides medical exemptions, rendering aid and or assistance to child by parent/guardian | Yes | |
| PR | All persons, all ages, unless in a safety seat must wear a safety belt | <5 yrs | <12 must ride in back seat | $100 | None | No |
1This chart applies to children younger than age 19. As of the printing of this document, 24 States & DC have enacted legislation to address booster seat age children. Legislation varies from State to State.
3Children < 12 years old and < 66 inches may not occupy front seat if equipped with passenger-side air bag.
4Maximum fine for first offense of child safety seat laws. Fines may be different for older children.
6Major exemptions are considered to be exemptions in private passenger vehicles (cars, vans, or pickups). Many States have exemptions for buses, taxis, or other public transportation, children with medical conditions, and emergency situations.
15Unless there are more than five children younger than age 18 not accompanied by a person older than 18.
20If there are more passengers than available safety belts, the driver/passengers are not in violation; public carriers for hire are exempted.
22Unless the vehicle has only one row of seats, then the child can be placed in the front, as of 7/1/03.
24The CPS law does not apply if the child is booster seat age/size and the vehicle has lap-only safety belts.
Types of car seats at a glance:
Age Group
|
Type of Seat
|
General Guidelines
|
Rear-facing only seats and rear-facing convertible seats
|
All infants and toddlers should ride in a Rear-Facing Car Seat until they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car safety seat's manufacturer.
| |
Toddler/preschoolers
|
Convertible seats and forward-facing seats with harness
|
All children 2 years or older, or those younger than 2 years who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car seat, should use a Forward-Facing Car Seat with a harness for as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed their car seat’s manufacturer.
|
Booster seats
|
All children whose weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for their car seat should use aBelt-Positioning Booster Seat until the vehicle seat belt fits properly, typically when they have reached 4 feet 9 inches in height and are between 8 and 12 years of age.
| |
Seat belts
|
When children are old enough and large enough to use the vehicle seat belt alone, they should always use Lap and Shoulder Seat Belts for optimal protection. All children younger than 13 years should be restrained in the rear seats of vehicles for optimal protection.
|
Infants and toddlers—rear-facing
The AAP recommends that all infants should ride rear-facing starting with their first ridehome from the hospital. All infants and toddlers should ride in a Rear-Facing Car Seatuntil they are 2 years of age or until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by their car seat’s manufacturer.
Types of rear-facing car seats
There are 3 types of rear-facing car seats: rear-facing only seats, convertible seats, and 3-in-1 seats.
When children reach the highest weight or length allowed by the manufacturer of their rear-facing only seat, they should continue to ride rear-facing in a convertible seat or 3-in-1 seat.
Figure 2: Rear-facing car seat.
- Rear-facing only
- Are used for infants up to 22 to 35 pounds, depending on the model.
- Are small and have carrying handles (and sometimes come as part of a stroller system).
- May come with a base that can be left in the car. The seat clicks into and out of the base so you don’t have to install the seat each time you use it. Parents can buy more than one base for additional vehicles.
- Are used only for travel (not for positioning outside the vehicle).
- Convertible seats (used rear-facing)
- Can be used rear-facing, then “converted” to forward-facing for older children. This means the seat can be used longer by your child. They are bulkier than infant seats, however, and do not come with carrying handles or separate bases.
- May have higher rear-facing weight (up to 40–45 pounds) and height limits than rear-facing only seats, which make them ideal for bigger babies.
- Usually have a 5-point harness that attaches at the shoulders, at the hips, and between the legs. Older convertible seats may have an overhead shield—a padded tray-like shield that swings down over the child.
- 3-in-1 seats (used rear-facing)
- Can be used rear-facing, forward-facing, or as a belt-positioning booster. This means the seat may be used longer by your child.
- Are often bigger in size, so it is important to check that they fit in the vehicle while rear-facing.
- Do not have the convenience of a carrying handle or a separate base; however, they may have higher rear-facing weight (up to 40–45 pounds) and height limits than rear-facing only seats, which make them ideal for bigger babies.
Installation tips for rear-facing seats
When using a rear-facing seat, keep the following in mind:
- Place the harnesses in your rear-facing seat in slots that are at or below your baby’s shoulders.
- Ensure that the harness is snug and that the harness clip is placed at the mid-chest level.
- Make sure the car seat is installed tightly in the vehicle. If you can move the seat at the belt path more than an inch side to side or front to back, it’s not tight enough.
- Never place a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an active front passenger air bag. If the air bag inflates, it will hit the back of the car seat, right where your baby’s head is, and could cause serious injury or death.
- If you are using a convertible or 3-in-1 seat in the rear-facing position, make sure the seat belt or LATCH belt is routed through the correct belt path. Check the instructions that came with the car seat to be sure.
- Make sure the seat is at the correct angle so your infant’s head does not flop forward. Many seats have angle indicators or adjusters that can help prevent this. If your seat does not have an angle adjuster, tilt the car seat back by putting a rolled towel or other firm padding (such as a pool noodle) under the base near the point where the back and bottom of the vehicle seat meet.
- Still having trouble? There may be a certified CPS technician in your area who can help. If you need installation help, see the end of this publication for information on how to locate a CPS technician.
DIAPER RASCH, there you have it. I hope you and baby have many safe journeys to see him grow up to be your special policeman. Don’t forget to send me pictures of junior after he makes his world debut. Safe birthing and driving, and good luck!
Suggested
Reading:
What is a CARMAGEDDON and when will
it happen?
Am I allowed to walk on a highway?
Suggested Reading:
The
definition of a “Concours” car and event
Suggested Reading:
Suggested Reading:
What is the new national terror alert warning?
Taking photographs at off-limits tourist landmarks .
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Sgt. Al here. I welcome your comments, ideas, and suggestions. You have questions about the police, and I'm interested in hearing what you have to say as a citizen. Thanks!