New guidance on car, booster seats to take effect in August

Beginning in August, there will be changes to the Minnesota Child Passenger Safety Law.

The updated law will take effect Aug. 1 and may change how your child rides in a vehicle due to updates on the usage of child seats, booster seats and seat belts for children, according to the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety.

Prior to the change, the law called for car seats to be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions on height and weight. Now, the law specifies ages for rear- and forward-facing car seats.

The booster seat requirement has also been changed from 8 to 9 years old, DPS said. Children under 13 must also ride in the back seat if possible.

The new age guidelines include:

• Birth to at least 2 years old: Rear-facing in an infant or convertible child safety seat.
• At least 2 years old AND has outgrown the rear-facing seat with internal harness by height or weight: Forward-facing with an internal harness.
• 4 years old AND has outgrown the forward-facing seat with internal harness by height and weight: Ride restrained in a belt-positioning booster seat using the lap belt and shoulder belt.
• 9 years old or has outgrown the booster seat AND the child can pass the five-step test that demonstrates how the seat belt fits correctly: Ride restrained with the lap and shoulder belts secured correctly on the vehicle seat.

More information on the law change can be found here.