In the united states, children must be restrained from 12 months of age until they are at least 8 years old. in canada, children under 10 years of age must be restrained in a child restraint system 208 cm (6 feet) or shorter. for right-hand drive cars, this requirement is 9 m (279 cm) or shorter. your child must use an appropriate 3-point seatbelt for any passenger vehicle manufactured on january 1 1990 and after september 25 1994. this requires a shoulder belt and a lap belt combined with a anchoring system that restricts forward movement of either part to reduce injuries caused by contact with the driver or other occupants during collisions or sudden stops. there are no height requirements for 3 point belts as there is
at what age are kids no longer in car seats?
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) has made the following recommendations concerning when children can be transitioned out of their car safety seats. children who are 7 years old or 80 pounds (or both), and whose measurements no longer fit within the height or weight limits for their vehicle's child safety seat, should be in one of these alternatives according to current nhtsa guidelines.
children over 40 inches in height who are 4 year olds and at least 5 ft 9 in tall with a weight between 60-90 lbs can use an adult safety belt that is properly adjusted for them. children over 40 inches in height who are not at least 5 ft 9 in tall or between 4 years 10 mos and 6 years 2 mos with
does a 7 year old need a car seat?
a 7 year old typically does not need a car seat. they should be either in the front or back, but not in between two adults for safety reasons.
a child at this age is too big to be properly protected by a booster seat and can better sit on their own without a lap belt across their pelvis. if they are smaller, you would want them to wear an appropriate safety restraint >= 10pounds and < 4'9" tall [a booster seat]. typically at this stage children are too large to fit into safety restraints designed for infants or toddlers (<4'9" tall).
does a 4 year old need a car seat?
kindergarteners need booster seats until they're 4'9″ tall.
most children are required to be in a car's “booster seat” from the time they turn four years of age until the time they reach 4'9″. if a child is between ages four and five or if a child is under one foot six inches, he or she must ride in what is called a “child restraint.” requirements for this vary from state-to-state, so parents should refer to their local department of motor vehicles for specific laws that apply to them. in some states it may be the parent's responsibility, while in other states it may be against the law. drivers have been known to get pulled over for not being
does a 5 year old need a car seat?
the national highway traffic safety administration (nhtsa) recommends that all children age 12 and under ride in a booster seat until they're large enough to fit in a safety belt properly. the recommended height and weight for this is 57 inches (and between 40-80 pounds respectively).
in other words, by the time our child is 5 years old, he or she will have been riding in boosters for at least 2 years already. this leaves roughly 3 more years before they should be riding in a car seat instead of a booster. in essence, there's no good reason for buying them a car seat when they're younger than 5 – unless you might need to travel with another person who doesn't have their own safety equipment
