Get Child Passenger Safety Checklist

Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children in the United States, but many of these deaths can be prevented. Always buckling children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, and seat belts reduces serious injuries and death by up to 80%.

Infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car safety seat until they reach the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat manufacturer. Children who have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit for their car seat should use a forward-facing seat with a harness as long as possible.

Rear-Facing Car Seat. Birth-12 Months. Your child under age 1 should always ride in a rear-facing car seat. ... Forward-Facing Car Seat. 1 – 3 Years. Keep your child rear-facing as long as possible. ... Booster Seat. 4 – 7 Years.

A child restraint is the collective term for rear facing baby seats, forward facing child seats, booster seats and booster cushions. Manufacturers may use different names and some products may cover more than one weight or height so it is important to read the label.

While 1 year and 20 pounds used to be the standard for when to flip car seats around, most experts now recommend using rear-facing child seats until children outgrow the top weight and height recommendations of the car seat manufacturer. This means your child may be rear-facing until well beyond their second birthday.

Law: Children under 15 years of age must be properly placed, maintained, and secured in a federally approved child passenger restraint system properly secured to the vehicle. Children less than 6 years of age and less than 60 pounds are required to ride in an appropriate child safety restraint.

New booster cushion regulations Current booster cushions, approved for children weighing 15kg and over (around 4 years), can remain on sale and you can continue using them.

Combination seats with harness: Seats can be used forward facing with a harness for children who weigh up to 40 to 65 pounds (depending on the model) or without the harness as a booster (up to 100–120 pounds, depending on the model). Integrated seats: Some vehicles come with built-in forward-facing seats.