Calif. Car Seat Laws???

[Brady's Mom]

Can anyone tell me the car seat requirements for California. I just googled it, but I am getting conflicting information! Thanks!

 

[audrey2580]

The most accurate info will be on the CHP website

www.chp.ca.gov/community/safeseat.html


click on the flyers and it gives you all the info

 

[Brady's Mom]

Thanks for the quick response!

 

[cutedisneygirly]

It is now "6 and 60": 6 years old AND 60 pounds. The child has to meet BOTH requirements to not be in a carseat now.

 

[pixiewings71]

It is also height based. FYI, I kept my girls in their boosters until they were 8 yrs old, neither of them are even close to being 60 lbs but they are well over the age limit and they are both over the height limit as well. I think the height thing is 47 inches but I don't remember off hand, it's been over a year since I had one in a booster.

 

[mechurchlady]

http://www.chp.ca.gov/community/child_safetyseat_faqs.html
http://www.oxnardpd.org/bureaus/traffic_seatbelt.asp
http://www.sfgov.org/site/police_index.asp?id=21968

None of the sites I checked said anything about height requirement for children. If there was a height requirement then surely the California Highway Patrol would have listed it as well as Oxnard and San Francisco.

Note: The parent/legal guardian gets the ticket if they are in the vehicle. If the parent/legal guardian is not present then the driver gets the ticket. I never take kids in my car because of her old age, safety and I ain't risking tickets.

 

[Chickysmom]

OT but Funny! Here is OR height is 4'9" and my 15 y.o. is only 4' 10"....we wondered if she would have to start her driver training in a booster seat! of course, not so funny to her....heehee

 

[Brady's Mom]

Thanks everyone for your posts. My sister needed to know - she is going with her kids the middle/end of May and her son turns 8 while they are there. In Utah our law is 8 or 80 pounds, so she just needed to know if she had to bring it with her. Her DS is soooooo ready to be out of his booster.

 

[LavenderPeach]

OT but Funny! Here is OR height is 4'9" and my 15 y.o. is only 4' 10"....we wondered if she would have to start her driver training in a booster seat! of course, not so funny to her....heehee

That's funny! Poor girl. At least she made it past that 4'9" mark now.

 

[PinkBudgie]

OT but Funny! Here is OR height is 4'9" and my 15 y.o. is only 4' 10"....we wondered if she would have to start her driver training in a booster seat! of course, not so funny to her....heehee

As the mom of preemie twins I can identify! One was in a backwards facing carseat at 1 because he wasn't 20lbs yet. I finally turned him around because his feet were bumping the seat back.

I always joked that they would have to take their drivers license test in a car seat because they were always so light and they kept changing the carseat rules. However, now they are 15 and I can assure you they no longer need their booster seat, so no worries about that. Now, driver's training? That I'm worried about!

 

[pixiewings71]

There absolutely is a height requirement, how do I know? Last year or the year before there were billboards ALL over the state with Disney characters (mostly the Fairy Godmother) and they all said the height requirement. I made sure my girls were tall enought and they were. That's why I don't remember what it is now. We joke all the time now that if it was 80 lbs to be out of a booster DD12 would be taking her drive test in a booster because she's barely 60 lbs......LOL She's itty bitty, teeny tiny.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

In Oregon it is the height or age. Since some people will be quite older when they hit that mark. So I think it's like 4'8'' and 8 or 4'9'' and 9. But I have a while before my kids are even close!

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

I'm trying to figure out what the law is for allowing kids to sit in the front seat. Can anyone help me? We do have an airbag, my son will be 11 years old, and is 5' 0". I saw something about they recommend 12, my son is quite tall and big for his age. Most people think he's at least 12. LOL

We still have him in the backseat here, so it's not a big deal. But he keeps asking me when he can, and it would be easier on the trip if he was able to.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I want to say it is the age of 12. But hopefully someone knows for sure.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Yeah the way it read was confusing, like they recommend 12, but is that the law? Or just something they recommend. I wish they didn't go just by age, because I have a friend who weighs the same as my DS and my DS is taller then her! She's 30, and should be in the backseat then! lol

 

[pixiewings71]

12 is the recommendation, I don't think it's a law tho. DD12 is still sitting the backseat, it's safer that way.

 

[kandbp]

The 12 year old thing is based not just on size, but on skeletal development. It has more to do with puberty than age. They've found in studies the last several years that the risk of injury from an air bag remains high through about age 14. After that, the air bag seems to offer protection. Kind of interesting. Here's a link if anyone is interested: pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/115/6/1579 . And height is a much more relevant measure of when most kids are big enough to not need a booster--it's about 4'9" for most, but varies by car. The 5-step test is the way to determine if your child is safe to ride with only the adult seat-belt.

Kirsten
(Mom to 9 yo in booster, 6 yo in 5-pt harness, and 3 yo rear-facing)

 

[PinkBudgie]

I did not let my boys sit in the front until they were 100lbs. Which was only fairly recently. They are both thin and eat a ton.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Hmm that is interesting. I guess I'm just used to the whole height and weight deal, since that is what everything has gone by before now. My son is 5'0 and 115 pounds at 11 years (most men in my family look like football players! ). So I think he'd be okay in the front seat. Have to look in to it more before I decide, not a big deal if he still sits in the back. Safety of course is most important.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Here's a pretty neat website that goes over all the laws by state for car seats, and even front seat laws :

http://www.iihs.org/laws/ChildRestraint.aspx