Child Safety Restraint Laws
Ohio’s child safety restraint law
The child restraint law requires that any child who is 4 years
of age and/or weighs less than 40 pounds use a child safety restraint
that meets federal motor vehicle standards, unless the child is
in a taxicab or other public vehicle, or there is an emergency situation.
(See chart below for specifics.) Law enforcement officers can stop
motorists as a primary offense for not having children buckled up.
Fines for violators of the child restraint law include the following:
- First offense—up to $100
- Second and subsequent offenses—up to $250 and 30 days in
jail
The law, revised in June 1994, allots 65% of all fines to the Child
Highway Safety Fund. This fund furnishes child restraint systems
to eligible families and provides public education programs regarding
the benefits of child restraints.
*Note: If you use a booster seat, make sure your
child meets the weight and height requirements for the make and
model of the seat you select. Booster seats, although manufactured
for children weighing as little as 30 lbs., are not recommended
by the American Academy of Pediatrics until a child weighs 40 lbs.
It is important that all the manufacturer’s instructions are
followed when installing and using a child safety seat. For more
information, call the Help Me Grow Up Safe information hotline at
1-800-755-GROW.
US rules and regulations
On September 1, 1999, the Department of Transportation issued rules
that require compatibility between all cars and all child safety
seats. According to the rules, auto makers are required to install
metal bars behind new car rear seats to serve as an anchor for all
child seats.
The anchorage system requirement was phased in over three years
and must be in all new passenger vehicles and on all new child restraints
manufactured on or after September 1, 2002.
LATCH system
The Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system is designed
to make installation of child safety seats easier by requiring seats
to be installed without using the vehicle’s safety belt system.
Since September 1999, all new forward facing child safety seats
(not including booster seats) must meet stricter head protection
requirements calling for a top tether strap. This adjustable strap
is attached to the back of a child safety seat and has a hook for
securing the seat to a tether anchor found either on the rear shelf
area of the vehicle, or in the case of minivans and station wagons,
on the rear floor or on the back of the rear seat of the vehicle.
As of September 2000, all new cars, minivans and light trucks are
required to have this tether anchor.
By September 1, 2002, two rear-seating positions of all cars, minivans
and light trucks will come equipped with lower child safety seat
anchorage points located between a vehicle’s seat cushion and
seat back. Also, all child safety seats will have two attachments
which will connect to the vehicles’ lower anchorage attachment
points.
A diagram depicting the LATCH anchorage system is displayed below.
Additional information and updates regarding child safety seat information
can be obtained online at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s
(NHTSA) Web site, www.nhtsa.gov.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
The four steps of child passenger safety
The Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) promotes the four steps
of child passenger safety as:
Step 1—Rear-facing child seats for children from birth
to at least 20 pounds and at least one year of age
Step 2—Forward-facing child seats for children over
20 pounds and at least one year old to about 40 pounds and about
age four. Seat belts can seriously injure or kill small children
who are not properly placed in child safety seats.
Step 3—Belt-positioning booster seats until they are
at least eight years old, unless they are 4’ 9” tall.
Step 4—Seat belts for older children large enough for
the belt to fit correctly: at least 4’ 9” tall and about
80 pounds.
New NHTSA position on booster seats
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has
revised its position on booster seats. NHTSA’s recommendation
states: All children who have outgrown child safety seats should
be properly restrained in booster seats until they are at least
eight years old, unless they are 4’ 9” tall. ODPS supports
this recommendation.
Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
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1,800 children between the ages
of 5–14 are killed in crashes annually, making auto crashes
the leading cause of death for the age group. The lack of proper
restraints is the most significant risk factor for children
riding in cars.
(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) |
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