Passenger safety is an important matter. One way to improve passenger safety is by using car seats for children. Using car seats reduces the risk of car crash injury by 71 to 82 percent in children. Understanding the requirements and recommendations for a child’s car seat based on the child’s age, height, weight, and developmental stage is crucial for compliance with Michigan laws.
Children under the age of eight and shorter than four feet nine inches are required by Michigan law to travel in a car seat or booster seat. However, children are no longer required to ride in them after they are eight (8) years old or reach a height of 4 feet 9 inches.
No matter where they are seated—in the front or back—all drivers, front-seat passengers, and children under sixteen must wear seat belts, commonly known as safety belts.
The following are the Michigan car seat laws based on the ages of children.
For children under the age of four years old:
- A “child restraint system” that satisfies federal safety regulations must be used to securely confine a “child less than four (4) years of age.”
- Children under four are required to travel “in a rear seat” when one is available.
- A child under four years old and his child seat may be buckled up in the front seat if all of the rear seats are already taken up by child car seats with other young child passengers.
For children older than four but younger than eight years old:
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Children must be securely restrained in a child restraint system “in accordance with instructions from the manufacturers of the child restraint system and the vehicle as well as with federal safety requirements” if they are four (4) years of age or older but not older than eight (8) and “less than 4 feet 9 inches tall.”
For child passengers under the age of sixteen:
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Children under sixteen no longer need to travel in a child restraint system but must wear “a properly adjusted and fastened safety belt.”
The “safety belt” requirement applies to children who are four years old or older (but under 8) and who are taller than 4’9”, as well as children who are eight (8) years old or older (but under 16).
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“A child eight (8) years of age or older but less than 16 years of age for which there is not an available safety belt” must be seated in the back seat or “seated in other than the front seat of the motor vehicle” if there are more children in the car than there are safety belts. On the other hand, if the vehicle is “a pickup truck without an extended cab or jump seats” and the front seat safety belts are being used, the child may ride “in the front seat without a safety belt.”
Why Should Parents Learn About Car Seat Safety?
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of avoidable mortality for young people. According to a report by the Michigan State Police, 30 children younger than sixteen years old perished in car crashes in 2022. One of the most crucial things parents can do to keep their child safe is to teach them appropriate car safety. Children are vulnerable in different ways at every stage; thus, different safety precautions are needed.
Type of Child Car Seats
Children can be kept safer when child safety seats, including rear facing car seats for infants and toddlers, are used properly. Emphasizing the importance of choosing the right type of car seat, such as rear facing car seats, is crucial for optimal safety. These seats offer the most support for the child’s developing head, bones, and spinal cords in the event of an accident, with recommendations to keep the child in a rear-facing position for as long as possible.
However, many parents find this daunting due to the various chairs available.
Car seats have lower anchors used in installing them into the vehicle. They also come with tether anchors, which secure forward-facing seats and limit head movements in case of a crash.
Continue reading to find the appropriate type of car seats to be used for different children’s ages.
Infants and Toddlers
Infant Carriers: A portable car seat system usually consists of a stroller base and car seat base in addition to a carrier. Infant carriers are usually used until the child is 12 months old.
Rear-facing Convertible Car Seats:Convertible car seats can be used from newborn to infancy, from 5 pounds of weight up to 40 pounds. They can be used as rear-facing car seats as needed and as forward-facing car seats in the future. Their five-point harness straps fasten between the child’s legs, hips, and shoulders. Emphasizing the importance of using a rear-facing car seat for infants and children less than 2 years of age is crucial, as it offers the most support for the child’s developing head, bones, and spinal cords in the event of an accident, aligning with recommendations to maintain the rear-facing position for optimal safety.
Children Over Two
Forward-facing car seats shouldn’t be used on children until they meet the weight and height restrictions indicated on the seat. Until a child reaches the weight and height limit for their car seat and can sit safely in a booster seat, they should continue to use a 5-point harness convertible car seat.
Belt-Positioning Booster Seats
A child may transition to a booster seat once they can no longer fit in their convertible car seat. All children who exceed the weight or height limit of their forward-facing car seat should use a belt-positioning booster seat until the seat belt fits them. Most children will be in booster seats until ages 10 to 12.
When Can A Child Sit In The Front Seat in Michigan?
In Michigan, a child four years of age or older is allowed to ride in the front seat. However, the child needs to be placed in child restraint systems if they are younger than 8 and shorter than 4’9″. Children under four may only occupy the front seat if the back seats are all taken by other children.
If a child under four is seated in the front seat and uses a “rear-facing child restraint system,” the front passenger airbag must be turned off.
Exceptions to Michigan Car Seat Laws
There may be legal exceptions from the child restraint laws for all child passengers due to physical or medical conditions.
Michigan’s car seat laws also state that buses, school buses, taxis, mopeds, motorcycles, and any “other motor vehicle not required to be equipped with safety belts under federal law or regulations” are exempt from the requirements for children under four and for rear-facing child seats.
Safety Tips When Driving with Children
- Do not buy a used child’s car seat from a garage sale. These car seats may have been in a crash or recalled.
- Car seats have expiry dates, usually six to ten years from the manufacturing date.
- Do not let children play when they ride in a car.
- Make sure that kids are properly secured and that their restraints fit snugly.
- Buckle unused seat belts that are within the child’s reach.
Common Car Accident Injuries Due to Car Seat Violations
Car seat violations can lead to a wide range of serious injuries, such as:
- Spinal Injuries
- Facial Injuries
- Chest Injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Abdominal Injuries
- Whiplash
Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Michigan
Auto accidents are stressful and traumatic. If you or a loved one got injured in Michigan due to a car accident, do not hesitate to call us at The Clark Law Office. Get the justice and compensation that you deserve, with the help of our law firm’s experienced and dedicated personal injury lawyers.
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