Learn more about the 4 stages of child safety seats.
With summer ending soon and many families with children headed back to school and daycares all over the state, I thought it would be good to have this week’s Defensive Driving Texas Reminder posting be on child safety seats.
Child Safety Belt Laws in Texas
Current Texas law states that all children younger than 8 years old, are required to be in an appropriate child safety seat system when they ride in a passenger car, unless they are taller than 4’9”. If taller than 4’9”, the child may be secured in an adult safety belt.
The Texas Department of Public Safety says that another way of saying this is when a child reaches 8 years old (no matter their height), it is legal for them to use the adult safety belt only while riding in a passenger car. They also refer to four stages of child passenger safety:
- Rear facing – If younger than 1 year old and less than 20-22 pounds, infants should be in a rear facing safety seat.
- Forward facing – This typically refers to the 5-point harness style safety seats that should be used until the upper weight limits (usually 40-65 pounds) on the device are reached.
- Booster Seat – If a child has outgrown the forward facing seat and they are less than 8 and shorter than 4’9” then they should be in a booster seat.
- Adult Safety Belt – For children older than 8 or taller than 4’9”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the three most frequently asked questions for child safety belts:
When do I stop using the rear facing and turn my baby forward in their child seat?
Children are more adequately protected when traveling in a rear facing child safety seat, so the best recommendation is to follow the manufacturer requirements for your particular seat, and keep your child in the rear facing seat as long as possible in your particular seat. Once your child has out grown the seat, another option is the convertible safety seat, which is designed to allow children to ride facing the rear for longer. So the answer to this question is that is depends on the manufacturer suggestions on the seat you are using, but most forward facing seats require the child be at least 1 year old and weigh more than 20-22 pounds.
When is it safe to use a booster seat?
This question is about when it is safe to leave the forward facing five point harness style safety seat and graduate to the booster seat. The answer to this question depends on the age, size, and maturity level of your child. The majority of booster seats have been designed for children over 40 pounds, which is typically between 4 and 5 years old. However, if your child is over 40 pounds and less than 4 years old, it is recommended to find a safety seat with a higher weight limit rather than graduate to the booster seat. Also, if your child is 4 years old, but less than 40 pounds, it is suggested that you keep them in the 5 point front facing safety seat.
When can my child use the adult safety belt?
In the State of Texas, the law is that children younger than 8 and less than 4’9” must be secured in an appropriate child safety seat. Even though the law allows for children over 8 and less than 4’9” to be secured using an adult belting system, experts recommend continuing to use an appropriate child safety seat since it provides better protection.
I hope you find these tips helpful to keep you and your children safe on the roadways. Be sure and check back with us for new and useful Texas defensive driving reminders. Learn more with this useful resource.
