Many parents look to state laws to guide their child passenger safety decisions. However , sometimes state laws don't require what child passenger safety experts know are the best ways to keep kids safe in vehicles—sometimes called "best practices." According to these best practices, all infants and children in all vehicles should be covered by safety belt laws or child restraint laws. Unfortunately, differences in state laws can result in kids not always being well-protected.
Thanks to the efforts of many child passenger safety organizations nationwide, child passenger safety laws have improved in many states. Partners for Child Passenger Safety (PCPS) research helped support laws that are more in line with safety recommendations. Members of the Center for Injury Research and Prevention research team have worked closely with advocates and legislators nationwide to upgrade laws to provide better protection for children. Data from the PCPS study have played a key role in these efforts.
State laws
Learn about state laws and what the child restraint law is in your state:
- Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety
- Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Child restraint and belt laws
- State safety belt facts
Types of seat belt laws
Many states have recognized the importance of seat belt use for safety. Strong safety belt laws can make a difference.
There are two types of safety belt laws, primary and secondary.
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Primary (standard) safety belt laws allow law enforcement officers to stop a vehicle and issue a citation when the officer simply observes an unbelted driver or passenger.
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Under secondary safety belt laws, a citation for not wearing a seat belt can only be written after the officer stops the vehicle or cites the offender for another infraction.
Research shows that kids are more likely to buckle up when their state has a primary safety belt law.
Get involved: you can help change laws
In December 2002, the federal government passed legislation called "Anton's Law." Its goal was to improve federal standards for child restraint systems for kids weighing more than 50 pounds—typically children ages 4 to 8.
Anton's Law is a good example of how involved parents can improve child passenger safety laws. The law is named for Anton Skeen, a Washington state four-year-old who was ejected from his seat belt and killed in a rollover crash. His mother, Autumn Alexander Skeen, succeeded in helping to get Washington's belt-positioning booster seat bill passed in 2000 — the first ever in the United States.
Anton's mother continued to work for better federal standards for kids in the 4 to 8 age group who may have outgrown their child safety seats but who are too small for regular seat belts. As a result of the legislation, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was required to develop a 10-year-old crash test dummy and establish safety standards for belt-positioning booster seats. NHTSA was also required to develop best practices for car travel for kids 50 pounds and over, who are too big for child safety seats.
Parents, healthcare professionals and safety experts are working with legislators in their own states to improve laws aimed at keeping kids safe in vehicles. If you would like to get involved in your state, here's how to get started:
- Call your state representative and ask about any changes in child passenger safety laws that are being considered by the legislature.
- Contact your local Safe Kids coalition.
- Download advocacy tools to use in efforts to get better child passenger laws passed.