Hey Parents, Do You Know the Rules of Child Passenger Restraints?

A recent survey by GMAC Insurance shows that most parents don’t know what type of seat or which way their little ones should face when riding in a car. Laws covering child passenger restraints vary significantly by state, but fortunately the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration has issued guidelines to help parents find the right safety seat to match each child’s weight and height.

Of course this information is extremely important to car insurance companies, because awards involving critically injured children frequently allow for lifetime medical costs, and young children could expand that coverage period by an extra twenty years.

So, which guidelines cover your child?

If your child is less than a year old and under 20 pounds, make sure they sit in a rear-facing car seat, and stay that way as long as possible. Usually most starter car seats can handle children until they reach 30 pounds.

Next step for a child is to face forward, usually once they are over a year old and weigh more between 20-40 lbs. The forward facing seat and harness should be used until the child outgrows it.

Once a child exceeds 40 lbs, instead of using weight as the deciding factor, switch to height. A child under 4’9” should use a booster seat until they grow tall enough to no longer require it.

Finally if your child is taller than 4’9” and weighs at least 80 lbs, it’s time to switch to a seat belt, though the child should remain in the back seat until they are 13 years old.

Keeping your child safe is a huge responsibility. I hope this information helps you handle at least a tiny part of that load.