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Worldwide, various laws are being implemented that center on keeping the safety of children during travels. Most of these laws involve the proper use of car seats. These laws we should follow not only to prevent issues on legal matters but also, and more importantly, to keep our children safe during our trips.

The proper location of the car seat inside a vehicle is one of the most common laws most countries implement. It is recommended that the car seat be placed in the backseat and that children stay on the backseat until they reach the age of 12. This is because the car seat belt is often designed for adults where when used for children, the lap belt rides over kids’ stomachs while the shoulder belt cuts across the neck which may result to severe and fatal injuries in case of accidents. Remember that the standard position for a seat belt should have the lap belt across the upper thighs while shoulder belt should be across the chest. In most cases today, due to parent’s inappropriate practice of child safety guidelines, most kids aged between four to eight are involve in more accidents compared with babies three years and under.

Most car seats laws also cover what car seat is to be used and when it should be changed. It often is mandated that infant-only seats or baby carriers be used only for kids weighing 20 lbs. and under. Also, until the age of one and with the weight of at least 20 lbs., babies should sit in a rear facing seat. Nevertheless, for non-backseat cars like two-seater sport cars, babies of the above mentioned age and weight may be placed in the front seat given that a passenger side is not installed or activated. Car seats should be replaced when kids reach the age one and/or when they weigh more than 20 lbs. Baby carriers should then be replaced with forward facing seats which is recommended for use until the child reaches 4 years old and/or weighs at most 80 lbs.

In the state of Virginia in the USA, a car seat law called the Child Restraint Law is being implemented. This law mandates that every driver, despite no vehicular violation has been made, can be stopped and ticketed if they fail to have an approved car seat for a child passenger. Moreover, children 16 years and under that are in the vehicle are the responsibility of the driver, regardless that the driver is not the parent of the children.

Most laws concerning car seats also require that car seats be held securely in place by a safety belt. The LATCH or Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children is a recommended safety belt that can anchor forward facing seats securely in place.

Despite these various laws being implemented, keep in mind that they were passed not to bring more difficulty in our travels, rather, to keep certain that our children are secured – which should always be our main priority.

The writer is a new mother with a 1 month old infant. Her first priority is ensuring the welfare of her daughter during long drives. Before she even gave birth, Isa already bought an autositz, specifically an Autokindersitz Concord which ensures baby’s safety that gives her peace of mind.

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