Louisiana car seat law

[lil96]

Is this true?

Louisiana state law requires babies under one year of age and under 20 pounds to ride in a rear-facing car seat. Babies at least one year and 20 pounds up to at least 40 pounds must ride in a forward-facing car seat. Children ages four to six who weigh at least 40 pounds up to at least 60 pounds must ride in a belt-positioning booster car seat. Children over age 6 and 60 pounds, if they are not riding in a car seat, must use a lap/shoulder seat belt. Louisiana state law recommends that children who fall into more than one category by age and weight should be placed in the car seat that gives the most protection in a crash.

I got that from http://babyproducts.about.com/od/statecarseatlaws/qt/louisiana_cps.htm

I would think that it is worded wrong in that the way I read this is that at 20lbs your child must ff and that seems hard to believe. but it could be, idk? could anyone tell me.
thanks!

 

[Jeanum]

I'm not familiar with the exact wording of the Louisiana law but suspect it's being either misinterpreted (i.e., "must" was substituted for "may," perhaps in the above wording), or it simply goes to show how the carseat laws tend to address what child passenger safety advocates consider to be only the absolute bare minimums. State carseat laws still have a long way to go to catch up with best practice and the reality of crash dynamics.

 

[fyrfightermomma]

In Wisconsin ours is worded the same way. During our tech class the instructors said you may possibly have a fight if you were pulled over and the cop wanted to be a jerk about it.

The way our instructors explained it though is that at the very least a child from 1-4 MUST be in a forward facing carseat, however that does not mean they CANNOT be in a rear facing seat. The forward facing seat would be the bare minimum, and the rear facing seat would be best practice.

I know it doesnt make much sense, they really need to reword those laws!

 

[CTPDMom]

http://www.legis.state.la.us/lss/lss.asp?doc=88231

Above is the link to the LA car seat law RS 32:295.

"(1) A child younger than six years of age or weighing sixty pounds or less shall be restrained in a child restraint system as provided for in this Subsection that complies with standards of the United States Department of Transportation and is secured in the vehicle in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer of the child restraint system and the passenger seating position is equipped with a safety belt system that allows sufficient space for installation. The child restraint system required for a child younger than six years of age or weighing sixty pounds or less is, in descending order of protectiveness, as follows:

(a) A child who is younger than one year of age or weighs less than twenty pounds shall be restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat.

(b) A child who is at least one year of age but younger than four years of age or who weighs at least twenty pounds but less than forty pounds shall be restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat. :thumbsdown:

(c) A child who is at least four years of age but younger than six years of age or1 who weighs at least forty pounds but not more than sixty pounds shall be restrained in a child booster seat. The requirements of this Subparagraph shall not apply in any seating position where there is only a lap belt available and the child weighs more than forty pounds."

Color changes and mad smilies are my additions. LOL.

It does say 'shall', which is always interpreted as 'must' in other motor vehicle/criminal statutes I've dealt with. I must say, though, that if you ERF and are within the manufacturers limits, using the seat correctly, and someone actually tickets you for RF instead of FF after 1 year I'd just fight the ticket on the grounds that the law should not make my child LESS safe. And I could almost guarantee you'd win. And second, if I lived in LA I'd be writing letters ASAP to my senators/congressman/governor to get that law changed!

 

[lil96]

I feel sort of the way you guys do, I wonder how many other states have it worded like that? (Where I live rfing at 9mo is the "Norm" and I hate that!)