Parents of infants who must lie down while traveling for medical reasons should use car beds instead of conventional car seats. Car beds are designed so that babies can travel lying down. If you place your toddler in a car bed, the child`s head should be moved away from the side door in the center of the vehicle. When it comes to safety, rear-facing car seats are the best option, as they offer unparalleled protection for the head, neck and spine in the event of a collision. Your child should sit in a rear-facing seat until they are at least one, but preferably two years old, or until they have exceeded the seat size and weight restrictions. Depending on the requirements for booster seats in Massachusetts, it depends on the manufacturer. The current flat rate law states that children who have become too tall for their forward-facing seat or who are over 4 years old. In addition, they must weigh more than 40 pounds. Current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics are that children should remain rear-facing to the limits of their convertible car seat. Almost all convertible car seats today can accommodate children up to 40 pounds (they have varying size restrictions, so read your manual) – the height of an average 4-year-old – rear-facing.
According to the Massachusetts Car Seat Act, there are no details. However, the general guidelines are that children 12 years old and 13 years and older use the front seat. Otherwise, the back seat is the safest option. To ensure that your child is properly positioned in a rear-facing seat, make sure the seat is properly seated. Seat straps should be attached to or under the shoulders. The strap clip should be attached at armpit height above your child`s chest. These straps should fit snugly (you should only be able to insert one finger under the collarbone strap). Rearward facing is much safer for children because it significantly reduces the risk of head and neck injuries. This resource is full of interesting information.
However, experts recommend keeping a child facing back until the age of 2, as this is the safest way to drive. Baby car seats have unique designs for very young babies, and these seats often have stricter size and weight restrictions, meaning your child will get past them sooner. Convertible car seats and other rear-facing seats are suitable for infants that match the size and weight ranges specific to this product. Once your child has outgrown for a rear- or forward-facing seat, you`ll need to switch to a booster seat. AD booster seat laws are more specific than in other states, but simple enough for caregivers and parents to follow. A: This is not evidence that legs that hit the back seat are at a higher risk of injury in the event of an accident. Children who drive forward are at higher risk in an accident because their neck bones are soft and the ligaments are stretchy, meaning infants or toddlers may suffer spinal cord injuries. Even with good head control, a child between the ages of 1 and 2 is five times safer in a rear-facing car seat than in a forward-facing one. Q: When is my child ready for a forward-facing car seat? Official recommendations strongly recommend keeping your child in a rear-facing seat for as long as possible, but under MA law, you can use a forward-facing seat once your child is over twelve months old. Answer: The back seat is the safest place for any child. If your pickup truck doesn`t have a rear seat, you can only place a rear-facing car seat on the front seat if you can manually disable the airbag. There should be a switch or place that turns it off with your key.
If the pickup truck has an advanced airbag that automatically turns off based on the weight of the seat, check with the car seat manufacturer to see if they allow it. Most are not currently doing so. Massachusetts state law does not include specific provisions for rear-facing car seats, but these seats are the safest option for very young children. The first step in finding the right car seat for your child is to find one that matches their size. A toddler should always ride in a rear-facing car seat attached to the center of the back seat. Infants in car seats should never get in the front seat of a vehicle. Ideally, a child should stay in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible until they are too large to sit safely in a rear-facing seat. Massachusetts state laws require children to stay in car seats until age eight or live longer than 57 inches. Once a child steps out of a rear-facing car seat, parents should switch to a forward-facing car seat with a five-point belt.
Ideally, the car seat should be attached to the car seat hooks installed in the vehicle and not simply secured with a seat belt. When buying a car seat, carefully follow the manufacturer`s installation instructions and refer to public resources in your area if you need help installing a car seat in your vehicle. Massachusetts may not have very strict car seat laws, and a first violation of the car seat law results in a minimum fine of just $25. However, all parents need to understand the serious risks associated with not installing proper car seats for their children. If a child is too small for a normal seat belt without a booster seat, they could suffer serious injuries in an accident. Similarly, a small child too large for a rear-facing seat can suffer catastrophic injuries depending on the accident and the direction of impact. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 13 sit in the back seat of the vehicle and use an appropriate car seat or lap and shoulder harness. After all, your forward-facing car seat should always be in an upright position. Since there is no official law for forward-facing child seats in Massachusetts, the age of forward-facing car seats in Massachusetts is also missing. However, a child must remain in a forward-facing seat with a belt and rope until it exceeds the limits prescribed by the manufacturer. This can happen between 2 and 7 years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also recommends the same.
Not only did I break down the legalese, but I also answered the most important questions about car seat law. You may want to know which seat elevation laws apply, or when you should use a forward-facing car seat, or if car seats are needed in taxis. Yes, I answered all that and more. In the state of Massachusetts, there is a general car seat law. So there is no exact age at which you should put your child in a booster seat. When we check manufacturers, they recommend either the age of 4 or when they have outgrown their forward-facing car seat.