Car seat law taking effect
Published 6:00 pm Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Making sure children are as safe as possible when riding in a car is something every parent and adult should take seriously.
Regulations already exist in state law, but state legislators decided this session to strengthen them to make sure children are traveling safer. It’s part of Act 51, which Gov. John Bel Edwards signed into law last month.
These new requirements were approved for a reason. Within the past three years, more than 100 children under 14 died in car crashes in Louisiana. Thankfully, state lawmakers took notice of these statistics and decided to do something about it.
Starting Thursday, children 12 and under must be restrained in the back seat. Under the old law, there weren’t any restrictions on when a child over 6 and weighing over 60 pounds could sit in a car’s front seat.
The new law also requires children under 2 to be in rear-facing safety seats. Beforehand, 1-year-old children weighing at least 20 pounds could sit in a front-facing car seat.
Children who are ages 2-4 and are too big for a rear-facing seat must ride in a child seat that faces forward and has an internal harness. A booster seat with a secured belt is required for children ages 4-9.
Children ages 9-12 don’t need a booster seat, but they have to meet several requirements. Their knees must bend over the seat’s front edge; their back must be against the back of the car seat; and the seat belt must fit across their chest, not their neck.
Drivers can also be ticketed if a passenger under 18 isn’t properly restrained. A first offense carries a $100 fine, and they increase for additional violations. Drivers who are pulled over for an unrelated offense and have a child who isn’t restrained according to the law can also be fined.
Children may not be aware of the dangers of not being properly restrained in a car. That’s why it’s up to adults to make sure steps are taken to keep them safe every time.
Adults will need some time to adjust to the new law. But it is worth it, especially if it saves a child’s life.
In this 2014 archive photo, Lt. Mike Williams of the CPSO helps Aubrey Kleinpeter in her booster seat.
