Child Seat Safety

Child Passenger Safety Laws in Connecticut

• Law: infants must remain rear-facing until they are a minimum of both 2 year and 30 pounds.
• Law: toddlers must be in a forward facing car seat with 5 point harness until 5 years and 40 pounds.
• Law: children should ride in a booster until they reach 8 years old and 60 pounds (they must meet both requirements). Children who ride in a booster seat must use a lap and shoulder belt.
• Law: children, tweens and teens must be in a seat belt whenever they ride in a vehicle.
  • Further recommended: children should ride in the back seat until they are 13 years old. All people and objects should be properly restrained whenever they are in a vehicle.

On a daily basis, children die or are seriously injured in motor vehicle crashes. Many of these deaths and injuries can be avoided by simply using the child car safety seat and seat belt correctly. Statistics show that 80% to 90% of children's safety seats are installed or used incorrectly. Many parents are unaware that they are using the child car safety seat improperly, putting their child at risk. Most parents take their children out of a child restraint, car seat, much too early. Children are not small adults. They need special protection when traveling in motor vehicles. Their heads are proportionately larger, their skulls are more fragile, their rib cage is thinner and they do not fit in the vehicle manufacturer's seats as adults do.

Children under the age of 15 accounted for over 1,700 motor vehicle deaths in the United States. Car crashes remain the number one cause of death for children ages 3 to 14. We can reduce these tragedies by buckling up and making sure that the child car safety seat is used properly. The best car seat is the one that fits the child, fits the vehicle and is one that you can install and use correctly every time.

Request an Inspection

For more information or a car seat inspection contact the Rocky Hill Police Department at 860-258-7640. Please install the seat prior to making your appointment, we are here to teach you the proper technique and help you with corrections.

Child Passenger Safety Technician

Thankfully, there are members of the community who are certified to install car seats and educate caregivers on Child Passenger Safety. These individuals, called Child Passenger Safety Technicians, have taken a 32 hour certification course on car seat installation and education and are certified through Safe Kids Worldwide. If you're interested in becoming a Child Passenger Safety Technician, please click here.

To locate a fitting station near you, visit the Safe Kids Connecticut website.