Proper Use of Child Safety Restraints Saves Lives

October 23, 2010

Indiana seat belt laws require all passengers of a motor vehicle to be properly restrained by a seat belt or child safety restraint device. The age, weight and height of a child can impact what kind of device is appropriate for their safety. All children under the age of 12 are recommended to be restrained in the back seat of a vehicle, rather than the front where the air bags may present a danger to smaller children.

For infants under 20 pounds and under a year old an infant-only, rear facing car seat is required. Heavier infants between 20 and 30 pounds under a year old may need a special infant seat for heavier children, or they may be big enough to use a convertible child seat.

Children ages 1-4 between 20 and 40 pounds should be placed in a rear-facing convertible toddler seat. When your child is between the ages of 4 and 8 years old and under 4’9″ in height, they require a booster seat designed for their size and weight, or some larger children may use a special adult seat belt converter that positions the belt properly for their height.

It’s important to check the specifications on the packaging of all child safety restraints to ensure that it is appropriate for their height and weight. A safety restraint that is too big can be ineffective at preventing injury in a car accident, while one that is too small can cause additional injury in a crash.

Indiana seat belt laws are simple but effective in preventing serious injury in car accidents. Over 13,000 lives were saved in 2008 thanks to proper seat belt use, and police are actively working to increase that number. However, even proper seat belt use is not always able to prevent serious injury in a car accident. 

A Helping Hand from an Indianapolis Accident Lawyer

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