State law protects children by requiring proper safety restraints in vehicles. Although children quickly outgrow their clothes, toys and favorite entertainment, they never will outgrow the need to be protected while riding in a motor vehicle. Traffic crashes are the number one cause of death for children ages 1 to 12, according to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA).
To help parents and other adults who transport children determine an age-appropriate safety seat and ensure it is used correctly, the State Patrol’s Zero In Wisconsin program has an easy-to-understand video available online athttp://www.zeroinwisconsin.gov/ChildSafetySeats/.
The video shows the four-step progression in child passenger safety required by state law. Generally, state law requires that children must be restrained in a child safety seat until they reach age 4 and in a booster seat until age 8. The four-step progression is:
The total cost of a safety restraint violation involving a child under the age of 4 is $175.30, and the cost for a violation involving a child from age 4 to 8 is $150.10. These costs increase for subsequent offenses within a three-year period.
Adults who wish to provide even greater protection for children—beyond what is required by state law—or need to locate a trained child safety seat technician to ensure proper installation should consult: www.healthychildren.org or www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting.
“Parents, grandparents, child-care providers and others who transport children should get the information they need to protect their cherished passengers. The best way to keep children safe in a vehicle is to use the right safety seat at the right age and always use it the right way,” says State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald. “Not only will children be well protected, they also will have a foundation for a lifelong habit of safety belt use.”
To help parents and other adults who transport children determine an age-appropriate safety seat and ensure it is used correctly, the State Patrol’s Zero In Wisconsin program has an easy-to-understand video available online athttp://www.zeroinwisconsin.gov/ChildSafetySeats/.
The video shows the four-step progression in child passenger safety required by state law. Generally, state law requires that children must be restrained in a child safety seat until they reach age 4 and in a booster seat until age 8. The four-step progression is:
- A child who is less than 1-year-old or who weighs less than 20 pounds must be properly restrained in a rear-facing child safety seat in the back seat of the vehicle if the vehicle is equipped with a back seat.
- A child who is at least 1-year-old and weighs at least 20 pounds but is less than 4-years-old or weighs less than 40 pounds must be properly restrained in a forward-facing child safety seat in the back seat of the vehicle if the vehicle is equipped with a back seat.
- A child who is at least 4-years-old but less than 8-years-old, weighs at least 40 pounds but not more than 80 pounds, and is no more than 57-inches tall must be properly restrained in a child booster seat.
- A child who is age 8 or older or weighs more than 80 pounds or is taller than 57 inches must be properly restrained by a safety belt.
The total cost of a safety restraint violation involving a child under the age of 4 is $175.30, and the cost for a violation involving a child from age 4 to 8 is $150.10. These costs increase for subsequent offenses within a three-year period.
Adults who wish to provide even greater protection for children—beyond what is required by state law—or need to locate a trained child safety seat technician to ensure proper installation should consult: www.healthychildren.org or www.nhtsa.gov/cps/cpsfitting.
“Parents, grandparents, child-care providers and others who transport children should get the information they need to protect their cherished passengers. The best way to keep children safe in a vehicle is to use the right safety seat at the right age and always use it the right way,” says State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald. “Not only will children be well protected, they also will have a foundation for a lifelong habit of safety belt use.”