New CT Car Seat Regulations
Effective October 1, 2017, new car seat regulations and child passenger safety laws will be implemented in Connecticut.
The new regulations list an age and weight, the child must meet both requirements.
• Infants must remain rear-facing until they are a minimum of 2 years old AND 30 pounds. This is an increase of 1 year and 10 pounds. Rear-facing car seats are not allowed in the front passenger seat with an operable airbag.
• Toddlers can ride either rear-facing or forward-facing in a child restraint system equipped with a five-point harness until 5 years AND 40 pounds.
• Children between 5 and 8 years old AND between 40 and 60 pounds can ride a in booster seat secured by a seat safety belt, forward-facing in a child restraint system equipped with a five-point harness, or rear-facing. Under the previous law this section referred to children 6 and under.
• Children who are at least 8 years old and 60 pounds, tweens and teens must be in a seat belt whenever they ride in a vehicle. It is further recommended that children should ride in the back seat until they are 13 years old.
All people and objects should be properly restrained whenever they are in a vehicle. Loose cargo in your SUV can be especially dangerous if your child is in a rear facing seat.
Pursuant to CT Public Act 17-230, any person who violates these provisions “shall, for a first violation, have committed an infraction; for a second violation, be fined not more than one hundred ninety-nine dollars; and, for a third or subsequent violation, be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. The commissioner shall require any person who has committed a first or second violation of the provisions of this subsection to attend a child car seat safety course offered or approved by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The commissioner may, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, suspend for a period of not more than two months the motor vehicle operator’s license of any person who fails to attend or successfully complete the course.”
With this new law, Connecticut becomes the eighth state to accept the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics that propose children remain in rear-facing child restraints up to age 2. Statistics show that 18 out of 21 car seats can be installed improperly. Some of the misuses can include having harness traps too loose, loose car seats and retainer clips in too low of a position. It’s important to read the instructions on car seats carefully to know what to do and not to do.
You can find out if your car seat has been recalled by calling the manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 or the NHTSA Web site at www.safercar.gov.
The full law, section 11 of CT Public Act No. 17-230, is listed at https://www.cga.ct.gov/2017/ACT/pa/pdf/2017PA-00230-R00HB-07055-PA.pdf.
Safe Kids Connecticut has a brochure about the new law.
Thank you to the Bradley Henry Barnes & Leila Upson Barnes Memorial Trust at the Main Street Community Foundation for helping the ECCS promote car seat safety in order to improve the well-being of Southington’s young children.
