The Requirements for Children Car Seats

The security of child car seats is essential to make sure children are safe when traveling in a motor vehicle. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that every year, children are injured or killed in automobile accidents as a result of improper use of car seats. All children under the age of eight years old and less than 57 inches tall must be in a proper car seat. There are many nationwide requirements for child car seats depending on age, height and weight.

  1. Infants

    • Rear-facing is the safest way for infants to ride in motor vehicles. Infants should remain facing the rear until they weigh at least 20 pounds and reach one year of age. Infant-only car seats can be used for babies weighing up to 22 to 35 pounds, and convertible car seats can be used up to 80 to 100 pounds. Some infants will outgrow infant seats before they reach the minimum age, weight and height requirements, and it is necessary for them to continue to ride facing the rear in a convertible car seat until they reach the minimum requirements.

    Toddlers

    • Even after a child meets the minimum height and weight requirements and turns one year, he should stay in the rear-facing position as long as possible until he reaches the maximum height and weight of the convertible car seat in the rear-facing position. Once a child outgrows the rear-facing position, a forward-facing car seat with a complete five-point harness should be used until she reaches between 40 and 80 pounds and at least four years of age.

    School-Aged Children

    • According to HealthyChildren, car seats with a five-point harness should be used as long as possible. Many convertible and forward-facing five-point harness car seats accommodate children up to 100 pounds and 49 inches tall. Booster seats can also be used for school-aged children. Booster seats elevate the child to ensure shoulder and lap safety belts fit correctly. These seats should be used until a child is between eight and twelve years old and reaches 57 inches tall.

    Older Children

    • After a child outgrows convertible and booster seats, it is important to make sure adult safety belts fit correctly. The shoulder and lap seat belts must properly secure the child. The shoulder belt must come across the shoulders and middle of the chest and not lie at the neck, and the lap belt should be secure across the upper region of the thighs and not on the stomach. The back seat is the safest place for children under 13 years old, and the CDC states that riding in the back seat for children under the age of 16 years old reduces the risk of injury from motor vehicle accidents by 40 percent.

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