Child Passenger Seat Safety

Infant seats are designed for newborns until they are 1 year old and weigh 20-30 pounds. Once the infant’s head comes within 1 inch of the top of the shell, they should switch to a rear-facing child passenger seat.

Law

A child must be in a rear-facing infant seat from newborn until they are at least 1 year old AND at least 20 pounds.

Best Practice

A child should be in a rear-facing infant seat until they are at least 1 and are 20-30 pounds depending on the seat weight limit. Use this seat only until the baby’s head comes within 1 inch of the top of the shell.

The rear-facing seat is designed for a baby or young child who’s head comes within 1 inch of the top of the shell, but is either too young and/or light weight to face forward per the law, or has yet to reach the limits provided by the car seat manufacturer about when the seat should be changed to forward-facing.

Law

After reaching the minimum age and weight required by law (1 year old AND at least 20 pounds), there is no law saying a child must remain rear-facing.

Best Practice

A child should remain rear-facing until the child has reached the rear-facing weight limit (around 35-40 pounds), or as long as the instructions permit. Many states (not including MN) require by law that a child remain rear-facing until the age of 2.

Forward-facing seats are generally designed for children age 1 to 4 years old. A child passenger seat can be turned to a forward-facing position once the child has reached the weight and height limits for the rear-facing seat.

Law

Children cannot ride in just a seat belt until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall.

Best Practice

Because young children are not mature enough to remain seated properly during car rides, it is recommended that a front-facing child passenger seat with harnesses be utilized for as long as the child meets the manual’s height and weight requirements.

Booster seats are for children once they have outgrown a forward-facing seat. This usually occurs when the child is 4-6 years old and 40-60 pounds, and they should remain until they are 8-12 years old. The booster seats help adult safety belts correctly fit a child’s body. There are many types of booster seats:

• High-backed: High-backed seats provide head support for taller children in vehicles without headrests.
• Harnessed: If your child outgrows their forward-facing seat before age 4, they may not be mature enough to stay properly seated, in which case a vest or harness version of the high-backed booster would be the best option for your child.
• No-Back: A no-back booster can be used if the vehicle has a head restraint the child can use.

Law

Minnesota law says a child cannot ride in just a seatbelt until they are age 8 OR are 4 feet 9 inches tall, whichever comes first.

Best Practice

Children should remain in the booster seat until they have reached the height limit instead of age limit; because vehicle seats and belts are designed to fit adult’s height dimensions, not a child’s.

Law

Your child must be at least 8 years old or have reached the height of 4 feet 9 inches.

Best practices

Follow the height guidelines for staying in a booster seat. If you and your child feel they are ready to sit without a booster seat, answer the questions below.

The Five-Step Seat Belt Fit Test

1. Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
3. Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and the arm?
4. Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to ride safely in the car.

Law

Minnesota doesn’t have a law restriction on the age for when someone can ride in the front seat of the car. Many states do however had a law that a child must be at least 13 years old to ride up front, so if you plan to travel outside of MN, make sure you look up the other state’s law.

Best Practice

It is best for children under the age of 13 to ride in a rear seat. This is because most crashes occur in the front of the vehicle, and even if the airbag is turned off, it is safer for the child in the back seat.

If your child must ride in the front for some reason, make sure they are properly belted in, using a booster seat or car seat if necessary, and the chair is slide all the way back.

Many parents like the idea that a used safety seat is a good bargain, or they can’t really afford a new seat.

Unfortunately, used seats could have many problems - which are easy to lie about - which is why it is not recommended to purchase a used safety seat, especially from a garage sale or re-sale shop.

However, if you need to go with a pre-used seat, they may be okay to use if:

• It’s not more than 6 years old (expired)
• It’s free of any recalls
• It has not been involved in a crash – minor or major
• All the labels are on the child restraint
• The instruction manual is present

You know the individual who previously owned the restraint and you confidently know the history of the restraint.