New Booster Seat Law In Florida For Ages 4-5 Years Old

December 28, 2014

Beginning January 1 in Florida, children ages 4 and 5 will be required to sit in a child safety seat or a booster seat rather than only being buckled in a seat belt.

child seatbelt 2015

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, booster seat use reduces the risk for serious injury by 45 percent for children ages 4–8 years when compared with seat belt use alone.

“Safety belts save lives, but only when used and used correctly,” said Terry Rhodes, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. “Booster seats help elevate children to the height at which the safety belt will properly secure them.”

Many children may need booster seats beyond the age required by law, depending on the size of the child and where the seat belt crosses the body. The following recommendations can help determine if your child, after age 5, is ready to wear a seatbelt without a booster seat:

  • the child is at least 4’9” tall;
  • the child can sit all the way back in the seat and bend knees at the edge of the seat;
  • the shoulder belt lays across the chest, not the neck;
  • the lap belt lays across the upper thighs, not the stomach.

Children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat of the vehicle whenever possible for additional safety.

Comments

Comments are closed.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News