Protecting your child while they are in the car is always a priority for parents. To help parents make the right choices for child safety in the car, the following laws have been put into place.
- Newborn to 3 Years of Age: Children in this age category must be placed in a separate car carrier device that is secured into the back seat of the vehicle. If the vehicle has a built-in car carrier, the seat must be compliant for the age bracket and firmly secured in the car.
- Ages 4 and 5: Children in this age bracket must be secured in a separate car seat or in a booster seat based on their size. These seats must be firmly secured in the back seat of the car.
- Ages 6 to 17: All children must be secured by a seat belt in the car. Children that are under 4 foot 9 inches tall should be in a booster seat so that the shoulder harness fits better across their chest and provides more protection. Florida law does not have a specific age or height requirement for when a child can begin sitting in the seat without the assistance of a booster chair.
The law recommends that any child under the age of 12 ride in the back seat of the vehicle instead of in the front. This is due to passenger air bag deployment in the event of an accident. The force at which the airbag deploys can injure a small child. However, this is a recommendation and not Florida law.
Selecting The Right Child Seat
When you are choosing a child seat for your car, you may wish to use the following guidelines:
- For newborns and infants, you will want to make sure that the seat has a way to keep their head from bouncing around while the car is in motion. You will also want to make sure that the seat fits snuggly around their body and that their feet do not extend too far out from the end of the seat. You may need to transition to a larger infant carrier as the baby grows.
- For a sit-up seat for toddlers, always make sure that you find a seat that can be secured firmly to your car seat. Look for seats that also have a shoulder harness that comes over both shoulders of the child while they are in the seat.
- Booster seats should be chosen based on the size and shape of your child. You will want one that they feel comfortable with and that will stay firmly in place when they are buckled in.
Always make sure that you check safety recalls on seats that you are purchasing or on seats that you may currently own.
In addition to keeping your children safe in the car while you are driving, having your children properly buckled into their seats will also help you avoid getting a ticket. The State of Florida Safety Belt Law is a primary law, which means that you can be pulled over if anyone in your vehicle is not using a seat belt or car seat.
