Public Health and Environment

Car Seats

Child passenger safety is a challenging topic for all families.

More than 80 percent of all child passenger safety restraints are used incorrectly. The many models of restraints and hundreds of vehicle types create confusion, frustration, and incompatibility issues.

As of July 1, 2009, Minnesota's child passenger safety law requires a child who is both younger than age 8 and shorter than 4 feet 9 inches to be fastened in a child safety seat or booster. Under this law, a child cannot use a seat belt alone until they are age 8 or 4 feet 9 inches tall — whichever comes first. It is recommended to keep a child in a booster based on their height, rather than their age. It is recommended that children under the age of 13 should ride in the rear seat.

In addition to the law, many additional recommendations are made by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The recommendations focus on two things:

Knowing how to choose and use the correct seat for your child's age and size.
Knowing how to properly install that seat into your vehicle(s).

The following pages link to additional information about choosing, using, and installing your car seat. They also address booster seat use and having your seat installation inspected.

Choosing the Right Car Seat

Installing Your Car Seat

Using Your Car Seat Correctly

Having Your Car Seat Checked

Using Booster Seats

Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)

Car Seats Made Simple

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