Everywhere in the United States, laws are in place to protect young children from being killed or injured in motor vehicle crashes. Parents have to make sure that they have the proper car seats for their children, and that they are properly installed.
Summary of Vermont’s child seat safety laws
The law in Vermont regarding child seat safety can be summarized as follows:
Children up to a year old and weighing up to 20 pounds must be in a rear-facing child safety seat, in the back seat of the vehicle (assuming that the vehicle has a back seat).
Children ages 1 to 4, and 20-40 pounds may ride in a forward-facing child safety seat, in the back seat of the vehicle (assuming that the vehicle has a back seat), until they are either too heavy or too tall for the seat.
Children from ages four to eight who have outgrown their forward-facing child seats must use a booster seat until the seat belts in the vehicle will fit them.
Children eight and older who have outgrown their booster seats can use the adult seat belt system in the back seat.
You must not place a child safety seat in front of an active air bag. Children and small adults have been killed by deployed air bags.
Penalties
A violation of the child seat safety laws in the state of Vermont is punishable by a fine of $25.
Auto accidents are the number one cause of death for children between the ages of 3 and 14. Make sure that your child is restrained in the right type of child safety seat or restraint system for his or her age and weight. It’s not just common sense; it’s also the law.
