For young children, what car seat is required?
- Children under 2 years must be in a rear-facing car seat until they weigh 40 pounds or more or are at least 40 inches tall. Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible.
- Children can move to a forward facing car seat once they have outgrown the legal limits and manufacturer’s specifications for the rear facing car seat. Keep in mind that children under the age of 2 are 500% safer in a rear-facing car seat than a forward facing car seat. Use a forward-facing car seat typically until at least age 5.
When can my child use a booster seat?
A child is ready for a booster seat when they have outgrown the weight or height limit of their forward-facing car seat harnesses (often around 65 pounds). Children must use a booster seat until 8 years of age OR have reached 4’9” in height. Also keep your child over 8 years of age in a booster seat in the back seat until he or she is big enough to fit in a seat belt properly. For a seat belt to fit properly the lap belt must lie snugly across the upper thighs, not the stomach. The shoulder belt should lie snug across the shoulder and chest and not cross the neck or face.
When can a youth sit in the front passenger seat?
Experts reccomend that children 13 years of age or older may ride in the front passenger seat. Keep children under 13 years of age buckled in the back seat for the best possible protection.
(California law states that children 8 years old and older can legally move up to the front passenger seat. However, the Centers for Disease Control, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and many air bag and car manufacturers recommend keeping children under age 13 in the back seat because the force of impact of the passenger seat airbag being deployed can severely injure or be lethal to children.)