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Babies: 9 - 12 Months
amandajeannine
member
Car Seat Laws
amandajeannine
member
We switched my son over to a larger car seat, but still rear facing. (Britax marathon 70) I know it's best to keep them rear facing for as long as the height/weight requirements will allow (or 2 years of age according to the AAP), but I just looked up my state laws and they require them to be forward facing if they're 1 or older. So I'm not entirely sure what to do. I feel more comfortable with him rear facing seeing how it seems to be the best from the research I've done, but I also don't want to be breaking the law...
What would you do?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Car Seat Laws
I have never heard of a law that requires them to FF. My guess is the law is intended to state that they CAN FF at 1 year, but not that they MUST.
Which state? Can you link?
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
It says required... We live in Louisiana. We just got here back in November on a military move
https://www.carseatlaws.com/louisiana-car-seat-laws
There's even an article debating whether the laws adequately protect children
https://louisiana-injury-law-answers.com/2012/04/do-louisianas-child-car-seat-laws-adequately-protect-children-from-injury/
here's another one comparing safety recommendations with the law
https://www.lexleeskids.org/car-seat-safety/car-seat-recommendations-vs-louisiana-child-passenger-safety-law
I doubt a police officer would actually pull you over to check how old your kid is, and if he should be FF, but if he did, how's he/she going to know how old your son really is?
? Voted Cool Cat ~ 2012 Sweetpea Mom Awards ?
That is crazy. I'm pretty sure I would leave DS rear facing as long as possible and keep printouts of the AAP/NHTSA recommendations (and the car seat instruction booklet if it talks about when to switch to FF) with you in case you do get pulled over. Oddly, the LA Highway Safety Commission's page on child passenger safety links to NHTSA guidelines which say "rear face as long as possible." So it's not like they don't know.
In the actual law, it describes the different types of seats/restraints "in descending order of protectiveness," beginning with rear facing seats as the safest. If you did get pulled over and questioned, I would think that you could logically reason your way out of a ticket - I can't believe you would get cited for putting your child in a safer seat/seating position.
Anyway...I'm not a lawyer, so I'll step off my soapbox now. I don't usually get involved in political stuff, but I would be writing to lawmakers or finding out if any groups are trying to get it changed and join that group. You can search on youtube for videos about what can happen to younger toddlers who are needlessly injured because they were forward-facing.
Okay...off my soapbox now...
And I'll just add that I was one of those people who say, "I'm a good driver and I've never had an accident. It's not going to happen to me." And then I had a rollover accident when DS was three months old. Thank God I was able to limp away with only some bruises and cuts, and DS wasn't hurt at all. (Obviously he was still RF since he was 3mo.)
Sorry...just a couple of more comments and then I'll leave...
Regarding the comment about the police not pulling you over just to check how old the child is, if they pulled you over for speeding or anything else, they would probably look to see that the child is properly secured.
And I'm not sure if this would work, but could you get a doctor to write a prescription that LO needs to be rear facing past one year? The law states that it doesn't apply if the child is physically unable to use a restraint due to medical reasons, so maybe you could get a prescription for having LO stay RF? I actually know someone who has a doctor prescription for not wearing her seatbelt due to medical issues, so I know at least some doctors do that.
From your link: "Children from one (1) to four (4) years or children who weigh from twenty (20) to forty (40) pounds must be secured in a forward facing child safety seat."
Based on this language, I personally don't interpret that to mean it's illegal to RF past one, but that after 1 they must still be secured in a car seat. I realize it says forward facing, but I'm betting that is just reflecting the old recommendation to RF to 1 year, not saying it's the only option. Granted, I'm not a lawyer, but I just don't read that to mean RFing past 1 is illegal. And even if that is what it means, I wouldn't be FFing. My 2.5 year old is still RFing and will be for another 6 months, regardless of the law.
DD1 Feb 2010
DD2 Sept 2011
Thanks for all the advice! I'm keeping him RF, but I have a friend who has lived here longer who just turned her LO FF a little before a year so I figured I'd check the laws. I'm originally from another state- so far the people here have been pretty strict and the police are the kind who use their badge as an excuse to be mean and better than everyone so I didn't want to run into a problem.
I researched a bunch of different websites and the wording is either must, shall or required. The state laws haven't been updated since 2004, so I'm assuming that's where the disconnect stems from. I'll call the police station to make sure of the wording though. Thanks again!
If you do call and confirm would you please update here? I recently moved to Louisiana as well and I'm curious.