Child Safety Seat Checkup

California law requires all children to ride in a child passenger restraint system until they are at least six years of age or 60 pounds. For their own safety, however, most children need to ride in a booster seat until about age eight or older. Which type of seat to use and how to use it properly can be tricky.

Infant

Infants should ride rear-facing in an infant carrier or convertible seat until they reach the maximum height or weight limit of the seat. At that time the convertible seat should be turned around to face forward or a new forward-facing seat should be purchased.

Toddler

Once a child reaches the maximum weight or height limit for their rear-facing car seat they should go forward-facing. A convertible or combination seat should be used at the stage, again using the maximum weight and height limit as your guideline for replacement.

Child

Small children riding in adult safety belts are about three times more likely to be injured in front-impact crashes than those in booster seats. Children should not use an adult safety belt until they pass the following five-step test:

• Does your child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
• Do your child's knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
• Is the lap belt below the tummy, touching the thighs?
• Is the shoulder belt centered on the shoulder and chest?
• Can your child stay seated like this the entire trip?

If you answered "no" to any of these questions, your child needs a booster seat to ride safely in all motor vehicles. Once you can answer "yes" to all five questions and your child is at least six years old or 60 pounds, your child is large enough to use an adult safety belt alone; in many cases, children need to use a booster seat until age eight (or older) or are taller than 4'9".
Not only do belt-positioning booster seats dramatically reduce injuries caused by ill-fitting adult safety belts, but boosters can make rides in the car much more enjoyable for children, too. Boosters allow children to easily see out the passenger windows and offer a more comfortable lap and shoulder belt fit.

Remember: All children under 12, regardless of their height and weight, should ride in the backseat, where it’s safest!