Car seat use and State lines

Shanora · Mar 1, 2010

Not sure if this is the right forum for this...so move it need be!

Ok so I remember a thread a while back about how your car seat usage could be ticketed if you crossed over into another state with stricter laws.

Am I remembering things incorrectly, or can you be fined for traveling from one state to another that has stricter Car seat laws, and you not abiding by them.

**Does this make any sense??**

bobandjess99 · Mar 1, 2010

I think it acually varies from state to state.
I believe some states have a clause that drivers from other states do NOT have to abide by their laws, whereas some states require all drivers to abide by their laws. If you have a specific state in mind, you probably have to look up their laws.

i think when our booster law first passed, people from out of state were exempt, but then a couple years later changed it so as to be applicable to all vehicle sin teh state, regardless of where the vehicle was from.

skaterbabs · Mar 2, 2010

:yeahthat:

If you're working with a parent concerned only with the legalities, it would be best to advise them to follow the laws of the most strict state through which they will be travelling because generally those states will not have exemptions for out-of-state motorists.

spokaneCPST · Mar 2, 2010

In Washington state, yes you can and will be charged for child restraint violations even if you are from out of state. I agree with Rebekah - its best for parents to follow the most restrictive laws of the states they are traveling through. Or the laws of physics, since we know that does not change over state lines.

The mom who is being charged with vehicular homicide (baby in front seat with active airbag, died 10 months later from massive head injuries) was from Idaho.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/feb/04/car-seat-death-leads-to-charge/

Maedze · Mar 2, 2010

Very few states (if any, currently) exempt outside travelers from car seat laws.

If a parent follows best practice, he will not be in violation of any local law except for one or two states that have horrible language about rear facing. And it's not something I would worry about.

J-max · Mar 2, 2010

spokaneCPST said:
In Washington state, yes you can and will be charged for child restraint violations even if you are from out of state. I agree with Rebekah - its best for parents to follow the most restrictive laws of the states they are traveling through. Or the laws of physics, since we know that does not change over state lines.

The mom who is being charged with vehicular homicide (baby in front seat with active airbag, died 10 months later from massive head injuries) was from Idaho.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/feb/04/car-seat-death-leads-to-charge/

This is true in our area, and I always tell the parents to follow the WA law as it is much stricter. We live in an area where we are passing between WA and ID very often, but most of our checks are in ID.

Sweet Mercies · Mar 2, 2010

I don't know if any of the car seat laws DON'T apply to non-residents. I know a lot of parents (back when our booster law wasn't in effect), who were ticked that they could get ticketed in the surrounding states for not having a child in a restraint above age 4. Since our booster law has passed, I haven't had any issues. In the 5 states I've done car seat checks in (and 1 province...they live in MN during the week and live in manitoba for the weekend), I've stuck to best practice no matter what.

Shanora · Mar 2, 2010

Thanks everyone.

Anyone from Canada able to pipe up on this?? I'd like to know what legalities are for traveling through one province to another....say traveling from Alberta to BC with out a booster seat for a small child.

Car seat use and State lines

Shanora

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