New Child Safety Seat Law Takes Effect Oct. 1

According to a media release from the  Maryland State Police:

On Oct. 1, changes to the Maryland child safety seat law will go into effect that will now require children under eight years of age to be in a child safety seat, unless they are 4 feet 9 inches or taller. This change removes the weight exemption of children weighing more than 65 pounds who could previously be transported in a motor vehicle without a child safety seat.

Picture courtesy National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the number one killer of children in the United States. As Maryland continues its commitment to the Move Towards Zero Deaths initiative, all children under the age of eight and less than 4 feet 9 inches tall are required to be in a child safety seat. A child safety seat is a device, including a child booster seat, which the manufacturer has certified as being made in agreement with federal safety standards and used to restrain, seat, or position a child while being transported in a motor vehicle.

A child safety seat must be properly installed and used in accordance with the directions of the manufacturer. Children must be in a child safety seat when riding in any car, truck, sport utility, or mini van. Not only will your child ride as safely as possible, but you will be establishing the foundation for a lifelong habit of seat belt use every time your child travels.

Drivers are still required to make sure all passengers under the age of sixteen are either in a seatbelt or a child safety seat if they meet the above requirements. Further information about Maryland’s child safety seat laws and other safety seat tips can be found at www.mdkiss.org, or 1-800-370-SEAT, or by emailing kiss@dhmh.state.md.us. (KISS stands for Kids In Safety Seats.)