New Law Changes NJ’s Child Safety Seat Rules

Earlier this month, Governor Christie signed new car seat legislation, making changes to New Jersey's rules for how kids must be secured in vehicles.

Car seats are a frequent topic of conversation at my house these days, as the girls' look forward no longer having to use them. You see, child car seats are just not cool when you are 8-years-old children.

Let's take a look at the new rules compared with the old rules for car seats.

The existing regulations say every person operating a motor vehicle equipped with safety belts (other than a school bus) who is transporting a child under the age of eight years and weighing less than 80 pounds must secure the child in a child passenger restraint system or booster seat.

Here's as overview of new child seat law ....

- A child under the age of two years and weighing less than 30 pounds must be secured rear facing in a child passenger restraint system equipped with a five-point harness.

-  A child under the age of four years and weighing less than 40 pounds must be secured:

... in a rear facing child passenger restraint system, equipped with a five-point harness until he outgrows the height or weight limitation for rear facing imposed by the manufacturer of the child passenger restraint system, at which point he will be secured forward facing; or

...in a forward facing child passenger restraint system equipped with a five-point harness.

- A child under the age of eight years and less than 57 inches in height must be secured:

...in a forward facing passenger restraint system which is equipped with a five-point harness, until he outgrows the height or weight limitation imposed by the manufacturer of the child passenger restraint system, at which point the child is to be secured in a rear seat, in a booster seat; or

...in a rear seat, in a booster seat.

The law also increases fines for violations to as high as $75 for violations, so keep those belts firmly connected, ladies.  Sorry, that's for my daughters' benefit.