When it comes to motor vehicle safety, your children are a priority. According to NJ.com, New Jersey has some of the toughest laws in the country regarding safety in a vehicle.
The laws regarding child seats may protect your children during an accident.
Children ages four to eight
Children should remain in the car seat for as long as possible. Once the kid grows out of the car seat’s capacity, he or she can use a booster seat. Children should use a booster seat until he or she is at least 58 inches tall or eight years old. A taller seven-year-old can move to an adult seat belt, but a smaller seven-year-old has to wait until he or she turns eight.
Children ages two to four
Children under the age of four who weigh less than 40 pounds should stay in a car seat with a five-point harness. Children under the age of four cannot move to a booster seat or car seat that does not use the harness.
Children under the age of two
Rear-facing car seats are necessary for children under two and weigh less than 30 pounds. While some states allow for kids to move to a front-facing seat at the age of one, children in New Jersey need to wait until two years old.
In a case where there is no backseat, children can ride in the front seat or in a booster seat. However, if you have a baby or toddler in a rear-facing seat, you must disable the passenger side airbag to prevent injury.