Winter 2010 Volume 12 Number 4
Child Car Seat Safety: It’s Fast, Effective and it’s the Law!
Car manufacturers are always creative. Moon roof. Heated seats. Expanding cup-holders. But they have yet to come up with a morphing car safety seat that grows with your child. And until that option is offered, it will be up to us to provide a safe environment for our children when they ride in our cars.
Since July 1, 2009, Minnesota state law says any child who is both under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches is required to be fastened in a child safety seat that meets federal safety standards. This new law also requires that children over age 8 and beyond 57 inches are required to be in an adult seat belt.
Despite the wording of this law, we recommend that you keep a child in a booster based on their height, rather than their age.
If you are caught with an unrestrained child in your car, you may be fined.
And type of car seat and position is just the beginning. Make sure your child restraint meets federal safety standards. Read the directions and make sure that the seat is installed correctly.
To help you remember, here’s a child safety seat chart to jog your memory when the time comes.
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Step One
Rear-facing seat
- Infant only
- Used for ages newborn to at least 1 year old and 20 pounds
- May stay rear-facing longer in convertible seat up to 30 or 35 pounds
- Always place rear-facing safety seats in the reclined position at a 30- to 45-degree angle. Keep the harness snug and at or below the shoulders.
- Never place a rear-facing child seat in front of an airbag.
Most babies will outgrow an infant seat (designed for babies 20 to 22 pounds) before age 1. Change to a convertible seat with a higher rear-facing weight limit.
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Step Two
Forward-Facing Seat (with a harness)
• Convertible or combination seat for 1 to 4 years old
- Place forward-facing in the upright position.
- Move the harness straps to the proper reinforced slots.
- Keep the harness snug and at or above the shoulders. Check
the manufacturer’s instructions for exact positioning.
- Some types of child seats can be used as a booster when
the harness is removed.
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Step Three
Booster Seat
Since July 1, 2009, any child who is both under age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches is required to be fastened in a child safety seat that meets federal safety standards. Under this law, a child cannot use a seatbelt alone until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall. It is recommended to keep a child in a booster based on their height, rather than their age.
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Necessary for a child who has outgrown the convertible or
combination seat. Booster seats keep the lap belt positioned properly around a child’s hips and the shoulder belt in the correct position. Boosters may come with a high back or without a back Both must be used with a lap and shoulder belt.
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Boosters without a back may only be used in vehicles with a head rest.
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If the vehicle is equipped with a lap belt only, use a tethered harness or check with an auto dealership to have shoulder belts installed.
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Step Four
Seatbelt
- Over 8 years old and 4 feet 9 inches tall
- Since June 9, 2009, violation of Minnesota’s seat belt law is a primary offense. This means drivers and passengers in all seats must be buckled up or in the correct child safety seat. Law enforcement can stop motorists for seat belt violations.
- Your child is ready for an adult seat belt when they can sit with their back against the vehicle seat, knees bent comfortablyand completely over the vehicle seat edge without slouching,and feet touching the floor.
- Children 4 feet 9 inches or more can correctly fit in a lap/shoulder belt.
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