Child Car Seat Laws

Child Car Seat Laws

Once our child is born, they must be put into a car seat. Therefore, it is important to learn a little bit about the different kinds of car seats, what the requirements are, how to install them, and what the child car seat laws require.

First of all your child has to be in a car seat until they meet a certain age and weight requirement (this is different state by state.) Also children age 16 and under riding in the front seat have to wear a seat belt. Children have to be in a rear facing car seat until they are one AND weigh 20lbs. Children have to be in car seat at all times when they are in the car and the car is moving.

Where to find a recalled car seat list

When it comes to finding a recalled car seat list, you can find one at a store like Walmart posted by customer service. You can also just go on the Internet and type in recalled car seats and see what comes up. Not to mention, if you are one to watch the news a lot you can help keep yourself up to date on any recalls including baby items.

What makes child car seats safe?

I think what make car seats safe are the safety straps that strap the child in. They are very important to have because babies are so fragile they need to be safe. What parent doesn't want their kid safe?  Not to mention other features like a harness, extra padding, and side shields also protect your baby from vehicle intrusion. Britax has a lot of great car seats that qualify for being "very safe". That may be a brand you want to consider!

Installing

You should always read the manual before you install the car seat. This means read your vehicle's manual and read the car seat manual. You can tell if the seat is installed right because it should be tight and not loose at all. It should be able to snap right in, not wobble and feel very sturdy. If you don't feel like you put it together properly, I highly recommend that you go down to a police station or fire station to get it looked over. They will be able to look at it for you!

Child car seat laws include everything from installing them properly to making sure you don't have a recalled card seat. It is very important to make sure the car seat you buy is meant to be used on a child their age and weight. So, make sure you read over your state laws (since each state is different), and be sure to know when to get a new car seat.

Usually children start out in an infant car seat upgrade to a convertible then lastly use a booster seat. So, before you make the switch make sure their height, weight and age meet the requirements! Your child's safety relies on their car seat!