If you`re traveling to Pennsylvania, be sure to bring one of these sightseeing car seats. If you`re planning a family outing, consider one of these comfortable convertible car seats or comfortable booster seats. Check other car seat laws by state when planning your route. Pennsylvania`s booster seat law requires children at least 4 years of age and 40 pounds to ride in a booster seat until age 8 or 57″ or 80 lbs. Be sure to follow the manufacturer`s minimum and maximum size requirements for your booster seat – most manufacturers now require you to be at least 4 years old, 40″ tall and 40 pounds. Children under 40 pounds should always ride in a strapped car seat in accordance with the PA Car Seat Act. As of August 12, 2016, Pennsylvania`s new car seat law requires children under the age of 2 to be restrained in a rear-facing car seat. Children should remain in a rear-facing car seat until they become too tall for the seats specified by the manufacturer. Typically, this happens when the child has grown to 36 inches and 30 to 35 pounds, according to the parental magazine, but each car seat has specific recommendations from the manufacturer. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recommend that children stay in rear-facing car seats beyond age 2 until they reach the maximum height or weight limit allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
Studies have shown that children are 75% less likely to die or suffer serious injury in a car accident when they are in a rear-facing car seat. Just look at the car seat label to know the weight and size restrictions. Children between the ages of 2 and 4 must travel in car seats, which can be rear-facing or forward-facing depending on the child`s height and weight. It is recommended by experts to use the rear-facing seat for as long as possible and your child is within the height and weight limit. Studies show that car seats reduce the risk of fatal injuries by 71% in infants and 54% in toddlers. In 2018, a total of 880 children under the age of 13 died in car accidents. However, NHTSA found that 325 children under the age of 5 were rescued by car seats in one year. Car and booster seats are specially designed for the size and age of the child they want to protect. For example, if you have your toddler in a rear-facing seat and you have a car accident, the heavily padded walls of the seat will secure your child in the seat so that they are not tossed around.
In addition, the seat is designed to prevent the child`s head from whipping and prevent injury to the neck or head. Car seat laws vary from state to state, so we`ve provided a breakdown of child seat laws in Pennsylvania, NY, and NJ: The current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics are that children should stay rear-facing to the limits of their convertible car seat. Almost all convertible car seats today can accommodate children up to 40 pounds (they have varying size restrictions, so read your manual) – the height of an average 4-year-old – rear-facing. Car accidents are one of the leading causes of death among children under the age of 13, but car seats can save lives. Pennsylvania has specific laws that require the use of child seats, depending on the age and weight of the child. As an attorney representing children injured in car crashes in Philadelphia and surrounding suburbs, I see too many children who are not properly restrained in a car seat or booster seat. It`s important to understand AP car seat laws to make sure your child is as safe as possible in a vehicle. Children who have outgrown their car seats aren`t just willing to wear seat belts, although they may try to convince you otherwise. Instead, let them switch to a booster seat that allows the adult seat belt to adjust properly. Seat belts are designed for adults, not children.
If your child is older, you are more likely to abandon the car seat altogether. But that would be a mistake. In fact, older child car seats can offer better protection than just a seat belt. Car seat restraint systems are specifically designed for your child, unlike a seat belt designed for an adult. If you have an accident with your child with a seat belt, the child can easily slip out of the harness and be thrown. PA car seat laws state that every child must sit in a booster seat between the ages of 4 (or 3 if they have exceeded the weight or height restrictions of a rear-facing car seat) and 8 years old. There are exceptions based on height or weight. If a child weighs more than 80 pounds or is 4 feet 9 inches tall or more, they do not need to use a booster seat and can simply use a seat belt.
The purpose of a booster seat is to allow the child to properly adjust an adult seat belt (the belt is above the pelvis and chest), whose seat belt distributes the impact force to the strongest parts of the skeleton. The previous law only states that all children under 4 years of age must be restrained in a safety seat – it did not specify a rear- or forward-facing seat and did not stipulate that young children must ride in the back seat. www.penndot.gov/TravelInPA/Safety/TrafficSafetyAndDriverTopics/Pages/Child-Passenger-Safety.aspxcars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/best-cars-blog/2016/08/why-kids-need-car-seats The Centers for Disease Control and Provenance estimates that 46% of booster cars and booster seats (59% of car seats and 20% of booster seats) are used in ways that reduce their effectiveness. AAA estimates that three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly. However, most parents believe that they are using the right seat and using it correctly. Fortunately, we know exactly how to reduce these numbers. Research shows that when properly installed, child seats reduce the risk of fatal injuries in infants by 71% and in young children by 54%. Installing car seats can be confusing, but your first step is to make sure you`re using the right seat for your child. Most car seats have certain restrictions and recommendations for seat installation, and there may be certain methods of seat installation. Hospitals are required to inform parents of the location of car seat loan programs in the community.
It is recommended that hospitals also provide information about Pennsylvania`s Child Passenger Safety Protection Act. Providing educational materials on the law and the proper choice and use of car seats will help families protect their children when travelling. In recent years, Pennsylvania has changed many of its laws regarding the use of child seats. In June 2016, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf signed a bill requiring all children under the age of 2 to ride in rear-facing child seats in the rear seat of the vehicle. Civil immunity was granted to child occupant safety technicians and car seat lenders. No certified safety technician or children`s organization acting in good faith as part of nationally standardized child safety training for passengers and at no cost or expense to the owner or operator of the vehicle shall be liable for any omission that occurs in the provision of advice or assistance with inspection, installing or adjusting a car seat. No person or organization that lends child restraint systems is liable for civil damages resulting from acts or omissions, except for acts or omissions intentionally intended to cause harm or acts or omissions of gross negligence causing harm to others. Here are some resources that can help you inspect car seats and provide you with additional help.
Pennsylvania has a specific PA headquarters strike law that requires all children ages 8 to 18 to wear seat belts. When can my child sit in the front seat of the car? The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation recommends that children up to age 13 sit in the back seat rather than the front seat, although sitting a child in the back is always a better option. When your child reaches 4 feet 9 inches, use the seat belt fit test to determine if the child is ready to use the adult seat belt without a reminder. Use the test on any child under the age of 13. It is illegal to leave a child under the age of 6 unattended in a vehicle. Drivers can be charged up to $75 if they do not comply with the laws listed above. Pennsylvania doesn`t have a law on when children can drive in the front seat, but many automakers state that children up to age 13 shouldn`t drive in front. Here`s a great explanation of why.