Child Passenger Laws and Regulations

There are many rules that revolve around driving which, as a responsible driver, you should be mostly aware of. However, if you are new to driving with children, you need to know what the child passenger laws and regulations regarding them are. Children are particularly vulnerable to car accidents because they are smaller and more fragile, especially if they are under the age of 5 or infants. You want to do everything you can to protect the precious cargo in your car. Let’s talk about the laws and regulations revolving around children as passengers so we can guard them to the best of our ability.

Child Passenger Seating Laws

How your child is seated is very important

There are very specific guidelines revolving around what our children are seated in and how. The position of their seat in the car is important as well. For example, it is safer to place a child’s car seat in the back middle position, if possible. Most parents place their kids on the rear passenger side, when the rear driver side would actually be safer considering that you will instinctively swerve away from a crash to protect your own side. Infants and small toddlers should be kept in rear-facing seats as long as possible. These seats yield the least fatalities. After they reach about 2, they should be placed in forward-facing seats. These seats should be the correct size and harnessed well so that the baby is protected.

Once they reach age 4, booster seats become an option. Booster seats are simply seats that go under them and are secured with the standard safety belt. It is recommended that children stay in booster seats until they are around 10 years old. That way, they will be tall enough to fill the seat.

It is illegal to drive with a child who is not in the proper car seat. If you are going to drive with children, you need to consider their weight and age before purchasing the proper seat for them.

Keep Maturity In Mind

You need to keep the maturity of these children in mind. For example, you may have a 3-year-old who seems ready to sit in a booster seat rather than a front-facing car seat. They may be too big for their other seat and taller than their peers. Alternatively, you could have a 10-year-old who is very short and not prepared to shed the booster seat yet. Remember to practice careful consideration of all factors and act in the better interests of your child.

Contact Us For Traffic Tickets and Class C Misdemeanors

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If you have gotten a traffic ticket for having your child in the incorrect seat or no seat at all, call Kelly McHanan Law. We can help you contest this ticket if possible, and at the very least, provide you with court representation. It is very possible that you were unaware of the specific regulations or the weight and height requirements. Whatever the case, contact us today. We will do our best to help you navigate out of this situation.