When Are They Old Enough to Not Be in a Carseat?

It depends upon the state that you are in, but keep them in a 5 point harness as long as you can.

Go to this website http://www.kyledavidmiller.org/ .

It is about a 3 year old boy who was killed in a car accident because the seatbelt on his booster failed. This website is trying to educate familys the importance of 5 point harness booster seats.

Its a pain to have to keep using the 5 point harnesses, but if it will protect my children... I'm in.

Good luck.

Massachusetts laws now require that:

• Infants and children must ride in a federally approved child passenger restraint until they are at least 5 years old and weigh more than 40 pounds.
• Children older than 5 and more than 40 pounds must ride in a booster seat until the child is 8 years old or is taller than 4 feet 9 inches.
• Anyone over the age of 8 must be protected by a safety belt.

Directly from the MASSACHUSETTS website on car seats.

The law states that a child needs to be in a car seat/booster until they're 8 or 80 pounds (in Maine). My son is almost 8 so I've been strapping him in with the seat belt. I put him in a booster when he was 4. Also, they're not supposed to be sitting in the front until they're 12.

I am a Child Passenger Safety Technician in the state of Massachusetts.

Right now, the LAW in Massachusetts is that a child must be in some form of child restraint to the age of 8 years or 4 feet 9 inches.

The REALITY is that very few 8 year olds are big enough to sit without a booster. Most kids are closer to 10 or 11 before they are big enough to safely sit in a seatbelt alone.

Four years AND forty pounds (absolutely no younger and no lighter) is the BARE MINIMUM for switching from a harnessed car seat to a belt positioning booster. And we don't like to see four year olds in boosters.

Most four year olds are NOT mature enough to sit properly in a belt positioning booster. It's much better to get a seat that harnesses to a higher weight, like the Cosco Apex, Graco Nautilus, Sunshine Kids' Radian, or the Britax Regent or Frontier.

Moving from a harnessed car seat to a booster should not be seen as a 'graduation' or something you want to do. Boosters are substantially less safe than harnessed car seats.

Again, I would NEVER put my own four year old in a booster and when I do seat checks I do not encourage or suggest it to parents. If a parent arrives with a four year old in a booster, I make sure they know it is not even close to the safest option and they need to buy a larger harnessed car seat.

The actual law depends on the state, however the National transportation Safety Board guidelines are these:

up to 40 pounds should be in a standard forward facing car seat with proper safety harness

up to 8 years old or until your child reaches 4 feet 9 inches and 80 lbs they should be using a booster seat with proper application of car's safety belt with the seat.

children 13 and under should NOT ride in the front seat under any circumstances.

Studies show that 4 out of 5 parents are not using car seats correctly even though they think they are. If you have any doubts about how your car seat is installed, check with your local police or fire departments, many of them have been through the safe seats program and can help you out with that.

I urge you and any other parent who reads this to use these guidelines wisely. It has never made sense to me when I see parents who I know child proofed their houses from A to Z and yet do not buckle up their kids. Kids 2-12 are most likely to be fatalities in automobile accidents and 75% of all accidents happen within 5 miles of your home.

Happy and safe driving!

Here is a web for you:
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/menuitem.9f8c7...

It is the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. I check this web before I buy a car seat for 3 reasons to make sure the car seat I am buying has not had alot of complaints or recalls on it, to make sure I am buying the right one for my childs height/weight/age and to find a seat fitting station just to make sure I put it in correctly. I have 2 children and a friend of mine told me about this site when my second child was frist born. I put the car seat in and then went to one of those stations and realized that it was at the wrong angle for him.
Any ways just a little info. Congrats on the milestone:)
N.

The new rules are pretty specific and go well beyond 4 years old. Just for your own reference, your local police station, or your child's doctor had each age and height/weight requirement in print. It might be a good idea to have a copy.

I am not sure if it is up-to-date, but I found this great chart that lists requirements by state: http://www.elitecarseats.com/custserv/custserv.jsp?pageNa...

My big problem with car seat laws is they exempt school busses. There is a push right now to make car seats mandatory until age 8 but I can put my five year old on a school bus and he doesn't even have to wear a seat belt? Tell me the logic in that one!

Last I heard, it wasn't an age thing anymore. I heard they had to be in some sort of child restraint till they were 4 foot 9 inches, but I agree you should check with your local PD to be certain.

C.

A booster seat is a "carseat" as far as the law is concerned. It doesn't have to be something with a 5 point harness. My extremely tall three year old has been in a booster since her third birthday. If you check out the boosters, many of them can start to be used at 38" and 40 lbs. Kids should still ride in the back if at all possible.

Hi there, it's actually 8 years or 80 lbs. B.

I believe it's 40lbs to get into a booster, but a booster seat until the age of 8 or 4' 9".. google ma car seat laws and it will tell you

I believe they need to stay in the car seat until 40 pounds although there are some boosters they can sit in at 30 with a 5 point harness. Check out www.nthsa.com for Nationwide recommendations. Also, I just read over the weekend that they are instituting a new law in Mass in July that they must be in a booster until they are 8 years old or 4 ft 9 inches tall. If your child is small I would keep them in the car seat as long as possible....read the info...auto accidents are the #1 killer of children.....the convenience is not worth losing your child.

Actually the law now states they have to 80 pounds. They could be in a booster but the safest way for them to travel would still be with a 5 point harness like a Britax Regent. I got my daughter in one and she'll be 5 in September.

E. P.

Hi! I am actually a "stickler" for this topic. My daughter who is 9 and only 55 pounds is still in a booster! The requirements in CT are out of the carseat by 40 lbs (although some infant car seats only hold up to 30 - so check yours) but children are suppose to be in a booster until 8 years old AND 80 pounds. The "AND" is important, as for children like my daughter who is thin, if they are in a regular seatbelt, and God forbid you were in an accident, the seatbelt could actually do more harm than good. It could end up damaging their organs. It is a constant struggle for us to get her to stay in her booster when all of her other friends are out - some just recently. But as you know, being a parent isn't always about being popular. I love my children and will do what is needed to protect them. I have checked with our pediatrician who also agrees with this. They have seen the damage a seatbelt can do to a child when they are supposed to still be in a booster. I hope this helps! Good luck!

47 inches or 8 years old law just changed. L.

This is what I got off Mass.gov website:

The Massachusetts Child Passenger Safety Law requires children under 5 years of age or who weigh 40 pounds or less to ride in properly installed, federally-approved child safety seat.
This law also requires children 5 years of age through 12 to wear a safety belt.

A booster seat is recommended to ensure that the safety belt fits properly for children less than 57" in height.

If you are not from Mass. - I suggest looking on your state website for you states laws.

It's not just an age thing, it's also how well they fit in the seats. If they have reached the height/weight requirement of the car seat, then they should be in a booster seat until they are big enough to sit in the regular seat with their feet touching the floor and the shoulder belt coming across at shoulder and chest, not from above. You can go to a police station or a fire station and they can give you advice on what would be best for your children.

i believe the law is 5 or 45lbs., then they need to go into a booster seat until 7 years old or 4ft8inches, whichever comes first. The booster seat is effective as of July 08. New law just passed.

Check with your local police department. they just changed the rule. I think it might be 60lbs. now and 6yrs.old. It was whatever came first 40lbs. or the age now it has to be both and yes if the car seat is to small get a seat that has the seat bealt holders onthe side so it sits in the right spot.

There are state laws about children and car seat safety. Do your own research on your state's laws or even your local police department website should be able to link you to answers. I wouldn't trust anyone but yourself and your own research. I find that most parents are lenient and misinformed when it comes to car seat safety. Good Luck

I think MA is currently 5 yrs and either 40 or 50 lbs to be restrained in some way. Once the child is larger than the recommended use on the car seat itself (which can vary between seats) & meets the qualifications of a booster it is ok to use the booster instead. I know 3 yr olds who are in boosters without a problem. My son just turned 5 a month ago and I think it was in January that I converted his car seat to a booster and will continue to use the booster until the seatbelt fits him properly without the booster. If you want to be sure I would contact the police department - I know they do car seat safety programs so they should be able to give the correct info.

It depends what state you live in. I believe in MA its atleast 8 yrs old and 80 lbs but a child is safest in a booster until they are 54 inches tall. Check the booster seat that you have because 40 lbs is the weight that its safe to put a child in a booster. YOur booster should tell you the max height and weight. And ask your doc. they should be able to tell you what type of restraint is appropriate for your child.

N.H. Association of Chiefs of Police
N.H. Highway Safety Agency
CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY LAW

The New Hampshire Child Passenger Safety law requires that ALL CHILDREN under the age of 18 riding in a motor vehicle must be restrained and properly fastened in a safety belt. However, children under the age of 6 years or 55 inches tall must be restrained and properly secured in an approved child passenger safety seat.

Any person who violates the provisions of this law shall be guilty of a violation and is subject to a fine.

For information about the law or car seats contact your local police department or the toll-free NH Child Passenger Safety Hotline at 1-877-783-0432.

Here's the web address that I got the info from.

http://www.nh.gov/hsafety/hspolice.html

K.

You are correct!
4 years old and 40 pounds (maybe 35, but I think 40) is what I understand. And then, yes, you put them in a booster with a regular seat belt.
I have found this a wonderful change from a regular car seat. The booster is so easy to exchange from one car to the next, and using a regular seat belt instead of a harness! It also helps our 4 year old feel like a "big girl!"

A passenger in a motor vehicle on any way who is under the age of 8 shall be fastened and secured by a child passenger restraint, unless such passenger measures more than 57 inches in height. The child passenger restraint shall be properly fastened and secured according to the manufacturer's instructions.

http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/90-7aa.htm

"Child Passenger restraint'', a specifically designed seating system which meets the United States Department of Transportation Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, as established in 49 C.F.R. 571.213, which is either permanently affixed to a motor vehicle or is affixed to such vehicle by a safety belt or a universal attachment system.

copied from the law online. From what I understand, under age 8 needs to be in a booster/carseat, whichever is appropriate for the age and weight of that child. I have a 3 year old who is 45 pounds and just as many inches and he rides in a booster made for his size.

I think it's around 35-40 lbs or so that you can switch from a car seat to a booster, but I'd double check with the pediatrician - they have all of this information. And then they need to be in a booster until around 80 lbs I think. And kids are not supposed to sit up front until they are 12, because of the danger posed them by passenger side air bags.