Florida Law regarding 6 year and booster seat

[rlt431]

We are arriving Friday morning by air and renting a car. Will we have to have a booster seat for our son or will the seat belt do in the back seat. In North Carolina my son has to be in a car seat or booster until 8 or 80 lbs. Our car seat is big and would rather not take it with us. What are the Florida laws regarding this? I know we can rent a booster if they have them with the rental company for about $7-$8 a day.

 

[cepmom]

I believe that FL law says children 3 and under need to be in a car seat...pretty sure your 6 year old won't *need* to be in a booster seat, but if he uses one at home, you may want to keep him in one while on vacation too. You can purchase a backless booster at Walmart for around $15 and pack it in a duffle bag to bring with you. Just a thought

 

[amc]

Buy the booster, 80lbs is the legal weight, why would you put your child at risk??. I have a 7 yr old who still uses a booster and will until he is 80lbs. It may save your childs live in an accident

 

[beattyfamily]

I have a 6 year old and a 9 year old and I leave the booster seats home when I travel alone (no DH to help out) and I bring them (no back ones) in a car seat bag and check them with my luggage when my DH does come with us.

It's 4 and up need seat belts in FL.

Your question has been answered so now do what YOU want to do and don't let anyone lay a guilt trip on you.

 

[jorodopo]

This is from the state of Fl Drivers Test Handbook 2004-2005 (Fl. allows advertisers to print the handbook to save money. but this is the OFFICIAL State handbook). Hope this helps.


From:
http://www.lowestpricetrafficschool.com/handbooks/driver/en/3/3

Protecting Children
ALL CHILDREN 5 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER MUST USE A RESTRAINT DEVICE WHEN RIDING IN A MOTOR VEHICLE.

The number one killer of young children in the United States is traffic crashes in which children were not restrained at all. Over 90 percent of the deaths and 80 percent of the injuries in car crashes could be prevented by using crash-tested child restraints.

Children should be secured in the rear seat. Never secure a child in the front passenger side, especially if your vehicle has an air bag.

The law requires every driver to properly secure children five years of age or younger in child restraint devices riding in a passenger car, van, or pick-up truck, regardless of whether the vehicle is registered in this state. Infant carriers or children’s car seats must be used for children up to three years of age and younger. For children aged 4 through 5 years, a separate carrier, an integrated child seat or a seat belt may be used. All infant carriers and car seats must be crash-tested and approved by the U.S. Government.

 

[tlbwriter]

Your son won't be any safer using an adult seatbelt in Florida than he would be in North Carolina. Don't put him at risk just because Florida's laws haven't caught up. If he's big enough to use a backless booster (at least 40 lb, and about 40 in tall), it's easy to carry on the airplane. Not only will he be safer, but he'll enjoy the better view out the window, and you won't have explain why he has different rules at home.

 

[GatorGal]

Why do people have to ask what the car seat and booster laws are in particular states? The laws of physics are the same, no matter what state you are in. Bring the booster and use it.

Cost of backless booster; $20
Time it takes to buckle him in: 10 seconds
Making your child as safe as he can be: PRICELESS

 

[beattyfamily]

Why do people have to be so rude to a newcomer to the DIS?

She asked a simple question on FL seatbelt/carseat laws and I think it's been answered. No need for parenting advice as it wasn't asked for.

OP do what's best for your family and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. What did we ever do back when we were kids?

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Here's a link to the law:

Florida Restraint Law

 

[tlbwriter]

OP do what's best for your family and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. What did we ever do back when we were kids?

Um... we died. Or were unnecessarily injured. Do you ignore other advances in safety just because no one used them when you were a child? I hope not.

I do agree with beattyfamily on one thing... you should do what's best for your family. IMO, what's best is using a booster seat. Here's why.

Seat belts are made for adults. They're sized for adults. They simply don't fit children correctly. The seat belt is supposed to go against the strong bones of your pelvis. If your child is too small to fit an adult seat belt, the belt goes against the soft organs and tissues of the abdomen instead:

But let's pretend that your child has an abnormally strong bony abdomen and this isn't an issue. What about this:

This is a computer simulation of what happens to a typical 6-yr-old in a crash. The child on top is using a booster seat. The child on the bottom is using an adult seatbelt. Notice how severely the child in the seatbelt is tossed and flung about. Try to guess where the front seat would be in this scenario, and at what speed the child's head would hit it.

Now, if you still feel putting your child in this position is perfectly safe, go ahead. After all, there's hardly any traffic in Orlando, and I'm sure no one ever has a wreck there. But keep in mind that using a booster decreases your child's risk of injury by 59%. My child is worth it. I think yours is, too.

(BTW, these images are from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. They have more good info on their website.)

 

[beattyfamily]

Um... we died. Or were unnecessarily injured. Do you ignore other advances in safety just because no one used them when you were a child? I hope not.

I do agree with beattyfamily on one thing... you should do what's best for your family. IMO, what's best is using a booster seat. Here's why.

Now, if you still feel putting your child in this position is perfectly safe, go ahead. After all, there's hardly any traffic in Orlando, and I'm sure no one ever has a wreck there.

I'm so sick of people here preaching their perfect parenting skills to others.

It's up to the OP to do what she wants to do and not bringing a booster seat for her 6 year old on vacation is legal and its her business.

I can see nicely giving an opinion but some here are SO condesending and it's a total turn off. She asked what the law was and that was it.

PS...OP if your still around, I wouldn't rent a seat. YUCK and you don't know if its been in an accident. I'd bring my own (in a carseat bag) and check it with my luggage. When I didn't go with my DH this past Sept and when we went to Paris, I left the booster seats home! They also wouldn't have carseats on ME, on Mears, on a car service and on Disney transporation; bus, monorail and boats. either....

 

[Kae]

In FL your 6 yr old does not need a booster. But if you can take it I would. Like it has been said your can pick up a backless booster for under $20 which would be cheaper than renting.

Kae

 

[tlbwriter]

give me a break. I'm so sick of people here preaching their perfect parenting skills to others.

It's up to the OP to do what she wants to do and not bringing a booster seat for her 6 year old on vacation is legal and its her business.

I can see nicely giving an opinion but some here are SO condesending and it's a total turn off. She asked what the law was and that was it.

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But I've found that people often make these decisions out of ignorance, because they naturally assume that legal = safe, and when they learn the facts, they change their minds. I'm not going to stop just because someone might take it as a slam on their parenting skills. Quite honestly, that's your problem, not mine. I'm not a perfect parent - far from it. But I do what I can. Considering that what kills most children past the age of 1 is motor vehicle accidents, using a booster seat is a ridiculously cheap and easy way to minimize the most dangerous thing your child faces.

 

[oxfordcircus]

Seat belts are made for adults. They're sized for adults. They simply don't fit children correctly. The seat belt is supposed to go against the strong bones of your pelvis. If your child is too small to fit an adult seat belt, the belt goes against the soft organs and tissues of the abdomen instead:

Thanks for that info. This is the first time I've seen the 57 inch guideline.

 

[beattyfamily]

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But I've found that people often make these decisions out of ignorance, because they naturally assume that legal = safe, and when they learn the facts, they change their minds. I'm not going to stop just because someone might take it as a slam on their parenting skills. Quite honestly, that's your problem, not mine. I'm not a perfect parent - far from it. But I do what I can. Considering that what kills most children past the age of 1 is motor vehicle accidents, using a booster seat is a ridiculously cheap and easy way to minimize the most dangerous thing your child faces.

I don't have a problem. I'm not the poor OP. I'm trying to defend her innocent question. She asked a question only, not for advice but some just can't control themselves. It's the way a couple of poster have talked to her, condescending, that I have a problem with. Attitude is everything.

I don't know how you get around Disney then without a car/booster seat...the buses, the monorail, ME etc...no carseat and some no seatbelt even!

 

[kidshop]

That's your opinion and you're entitled to it. But I've found that people often make these decisions out of ignorance, because they naturally assume that legal = safe, and when they learn the facts, they change their minds. I'm not going to stop just because someone might take it as a slam on their parenting skills. Quite honestly, that's your problem, not mine. I'm not a perfect parent - far from it. But I do what I can. Considering that what kills most children past the age of 1 is motor vehicle accidents, using a booster seat is a ridiculously cheap and easy way to minimize the most dangerous thing your child faces.

Thank you for posting the information. What people choose to do with it is their business, but there is no harm in sharing accurate and up to date facts! I don't know why people are so defensive about information....the kids are the ones that benefit, even if one person learns something they didn't realize before. Thanks again!

 

[tlbwriter]

I don't know how you get around Disney then without a car/booster seat...the buses, the monorail, ME etc...no carseat and some no seatbelt even!

When people are routinely killed and injured on Disney transportation, I'll worry about that. Right now it's not an issue.

 

[beattyfamily]

When people are routinely killed and injured on Disney transportation, I'll worry about that. Right now it's not an issue.

I don't mean to be a pain but I'm curious how do you know it's not an issue? Why is driving in a Disney bus, Mears bus, town car, monorail, boat, taxi cab, all safer then the OPs vacation rental car with a seatbelt? How are they different? I personally feel safer in my rental car with a seatbelt then I do on the packed Disney buses.

Do we know the statistics of a bus/taxi/monorail/boat accident vs. rental car accident while on vacation? Just wondering.

 

[GatorGal]

She asked a question only, not for advice but some just can't control themselves. It's the way a couple of poster have talked to her, condescending, that I have a problem with. Attitude is everything.

I assume you were referring to me and my post. I appreciate you posting how you read it. I was not trying to be condescending, or as you mentioned before, rude. I was just trying to be blunt in order to get the point across...the state laws vary, but not the laws of physics and the fact that seat belts are not designed for children. As Tblwriter pointed out, some people feel that what's legal=safe.

Making a comparison to what our parents did when we were little (for me the 1960's and 70's) is comparing apples to oranges. When I was little, road rage was not in my mother's vocabulary. We didn't have anti-lock brakes or side curtain airbags in the car either, but my car now sure does.

If what I posted offended someone, I'm truly sorry, but I hope that at least it made one person think twice about leaving their booster at home I'll be glad I said what I said.

 

[tlbwriter]

I don't mean to be a pain but I'm curious how do you know it's not an issue? Why is driving in a Disney bus, Mears bus, town car, monorail, boat, taxi cab, all safer then the OPs vacation rental car with a seatbelt? How are they different? I personally feel safer in my rental car with a seatbelt then I do on the packed Disney buses.

Do we know the statistics of a bus/taxi/monorail/boat accident vs. rental car accident while on vacation? Just wondering.

I'm going to assume you're joking about the monorail and boat, since they are not travelling on public roads. Nor do they provide transportation to and from Disneyworld, so they really aren't part of this discussion. Lump them in there with roller coasters and the MK train - you buys your ticket and you takes your chances.

As to the others, a taxi is not safer than a rental car with seatbelt, so it's a moot point. Whether it's your car, a taxi, a towncar, or a rented car, your kids still need to be properly restrained - and for most 6-yr-olds, that's a booster seat. I realize Florida law does not require restraints in many of these public modes of transportation (such as taxi or towncar). That doesn't mean anyone should consider it safe. Florida's laws, like other state laws, do not dictate what is safe. They dictate what the legislators could get away with after they were harangued by the tourism lobby, the daycare lobby, etc. In many cases, laws are about convenience, not safety.

Buses are different. Statistically, a bus is safer than a car. Part of the reason is their size - they are so large and heavy that (a) people are less likely to not see them and do something like pull in front of them or change into their lane, and (b) when they do get hit, the impact is generally less severe to the people in the bus. And buses generally use compartmentalization, rather than restraints, to provide occupant safety. In a severe crash, I'd rather have a seatbelt (well, I'd rather have both! ) But buses are less likely to be involved in a severe crash (see above). Which is why you are statistically safer on a bus than you are in your own vehicle.