State laws link?

Athena

Well-known member
Today I saw a 2yo or at best a small 3 yo in a seat belt only. It was a kid in one of my DD's classes who parked by us and we were getting in and out at the same time. Seeing that is so upsetting! :( I suppose there could have been a NBB in there I could not see, but he looked too low for that, and even that would be bad. It got me wondering, is this illegal? I'm sorry for any trouble since I'm sure this has been asked many times, but my searches are not finding me the right link. Could anyone direct me to a link that shows the car seat laws by state? Thank you!
 
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christineka

New member
I like to just google "specific state" and "laws". Then I can find the actual law instead of reading summaries.
 

Athena

Well-known member
Yes, that is it!

Wow, our state is not very good. They are required to be in a child restraint through 7 years, but that's it. If I'm reading this correctly, a 6 month riding in a booster seat would be legal? That cannot be right, can it?
 

christineka

New member
Yes, that is it!

Wow, our state is not very good. They are required to be in a child restraint through 7 years, but that's it. If I'm reading this correctly, a 6 month riding in a booster seat would be legal? That cannot be right, can it?

What state is it? Most states require the seat be properly used, so the manufacturer's instructions would need to be followed.
 

Athena

Well-known member
massachusetts -- Didn't say anything about that, but maybe they don't include it in these summaries. :)
 

christineka

New member
Here's the actual law
Section 7AA. A passenger in a motor vehicle on any way who is under the age of 8 shall be fastened and secured by a child passenger restraint, unless such passenger measures more than 57 inches in height. The child passenger restraint shall be properly fastened and secured according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
 

Athena

Well-known member
Here's the actual law

Thanks! So at least we do have a proper use clause, right?

So if I was wrong and it was a 3 yo in a NBB that says age 3+, then that was legal. However, Kindergarteners riding in nothing is illegal. Not that whether it is legal actually matters at all, but still, good to know. We've been getting in and out of the car at family places too much lately. :(
 

kathysr98

Active member
If you are questioning your state's law PLEASE read the actual language of the law like Christine posted. The summaries you find in various places can be very misleading. I recently had a CPST on this board tell me I was wrong about the law in my state based upon a summary she read on a state website, when the page she cited linked to the actual law.
 

Athena

Well-known member
Thank you for the information.

If you are questioning your state's law PLEASE read the actual language of the law like Christine posted. The summaries you find in various places can be very misleading. I recently had a CPST on this board tell me I was wrong about the law in my state based upon a summary she read on a state website, when the page she cited linked to the actual law.

Just so you know, in case what I said came off wrong, I was not intending to question our law, only to ask a question about it and be better informed in case it becomes handy to encourage someone else to use a car seat. :)
 

kathysr98

Active member
Athena said:
Thank you for the information.

Just so you know, in case what I said came off wrong, I was not intending to question our law, only to ask a question about it and be better informed in case it becomes handy to encourage someone else to use a car seat. :)

Oh, no! I just wanted to remind everyone that it's important to get the right information, and a summary many times doesn't tell the whole story.
 

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