TRENTON -- When do you turn your toddler's rear-facing car seat around? How long should a kid sit in a booster seat? When can a child be buckled into the front seat of the car?
Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation last week that rewrites many of the rules on using car seats in New Jersey.
The revised law, which goes into effect in September, includes new rules requiring babies and toddlers to remain in rear-facing car seats until they are 2 years old and 30 lbs. Older children must remain in booster seats until they are 8 years old or 57 inches.
Parents and caregivers who don't follow the new regulations could face fines ranging from $50 to $75.
Lawmakers said New Jersey's old car seat laws were vague and antiquated.
"With advances in research and car safety technology, recommendations to protect children in motor vehicles are always changing. Just look how different things were just a decade or two ago," said Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden), one of the sponsors of the legislation. "Incorporating the latest recommendations will help ensure that we're doing all we can to protect young children in automobiles."
Researchers say keeping babies and small children in rear-facing seats as long as possible lowers their chance of dying in a car crash dramatically.
Under New Jersey's old law, every child under age 8 riding in a motor vehicle with seat belts must be in either a car seat or a booster seat. (School buses are exempt.)
The revised law adds additional regulations with specific age and weight limits. Among the new rules:
Birth to age 2: A child under age 2 and under 30 lbs. must be in a rear-facing car seat with a five-point harness. That means toddlers who are tall or have long legs must remain rear-facing even if their feet are pressed against the back seat of the car. Once a child reaches either age 2 or 30 lbs., the car seat can be turned around to face forward.
Ages 2 to 4: Children must remain in either a rear-facing or a forward-facing car seat with a five-point harness in the back seat of a vehicle at least until they are 4 years old or 40 lbs. Then, they can move to a booster seat.
Ages 4 to 8: Children must remain in a booster seat in the back seat of a vehicle until they are at least 8 years old or 57 inches tall. Once they reach that age or height, they can use the regular adult seat belts.
Front seats: If a vehicle doesn't have a back seat (like a pick-up truck or a sports car), a child can ride in the front seat in a car seat or a booster seat. But the vehicle's passenger-side airbag must be disabled or shut off if a baby or toddler is using a rear-facing car seat strapped into the front seat of the vehicle. The force of air bags can injure small children if they deploy.
Fines: The fines for violating New Jersey's car seat law are currently $10 to $25. Under the revised legislation, they are going up to $50 to $75 in September.
Exemptions: You can no longer get out of a ticket by claiming to the court that you were following the manufacturer's weight and age recommendations for your child's car seat. That provision was removed from the new version of the law.
The law makes no mention of how a police officer would verify a child's age, height or weight when issuing a driver a citation for violating the law.
The state Department of Law and Public Safety will distribute materials explaining the types of car seats and booster seats to car dealers, parent groups, hospitals and the public, according to the legislation.