In the first state, Delaware, there are seat belt laws in place as there are in every state that entered the Union after Delaware. There are also child seat safety laws in place. These laws are all predicated in common sense, and there for your protection. They’re easy to understand, and easy to obey.
Summary of Delaware’s child seat safety laws
In Delaware, the child seat safety laws can be summarized as follows:
Any child between the ages of 8 and 15 must wear a seat belt.
Children under the ages of 12, or under 65 inches tall, have to occupy the back seat if airbags are active in the front.
If a child is under the age of one year, they must always be placed in a rear-facing child seat.
Any child between the age of one and three must travel in an infant car seat, or a rear-facing convertible seat. They must face the rear until they reach the weight and height limit for the use of the seat is reached.
If a child is aged four to seven, they must ride in a forward-facing child seat that is equipped with a harness compatible to the weight and height limit permitted by the seat.
Between the ages of 8 and 12, children must remain in the safety seat until they can sit comfortably in a passenger seat with the shoulder belt fitting properly across the chest and shoulder (not the face or neck), and the lap belt resting on the upper thighs.
Penalties
If you violate the child seat safety laws in the state of Delaware, you could be fined $25. Of course, avoiding a fine is not the only reason to obey the law. You should obey the law because it is in place to keep you and your passengers safe.
