Basics of Child Restraints and Seat Belts

updated 06-05-08  printable pdf

North Carolina has three occupant restraint laws.
Their basic requirements are that..

• All drivers and front seat passengers, regardless of age, must be properly buckled up.
• All children less than 16 years old must be buckled up in either the front or back seat.
• Children younger than age 8 AND who weigh less than 80 pounds must be properly secured in a child restraint (CR).
• Car booster seats are a type of CR that can be used for older and larger children if lap and shoulder combination seat belts are available.
• Lap-only seat belts can be used for children over 40 pounds if no lap and shoulder combination seat belt is available. Belt-positioning booster seats must not be used with just a lap belt.
• CRs for children less than age 5 and less than 40 pounds must be installed in the rear seat in vehicles with active passenger-side air bags.
• When a child reaches age 8 (regardless of weight) OR 80 pounds (regardless of age), a correctly fitted seat belt may be used instead of a child restraint/booster to restrain the child.
• Placing the shoulder belt under a child’s (or adult’s) arm or behind the back is dangerous and is illegal.
• Children less than age 12 are prohibited from riding in the open bed of a pickup truck or other open cargo area.
• Drivers are responsible for obeying these laws.
• The penalty for not complying with the Child Restraint/Booster Seat law is 2 driver license points, a $25 fine, and court costs (currently $120).

Additional details and information about the North Carolina Occupant restraint laws can be found at NC Occupant Restraint Laws

There are differences between what is legal and what is recommended for buckling up children.
Protecting children in crashes requires three important steps:

• The restraint used must be the right type for the size and age of the child,
• The child must be buckled correctly into the restraint according to the manufacturer's instructions, and
• The restraint must be correctly installed in the car according to instructions.

Additional details and information about the differences between what is legal and what is recommended can be found at NC Occupant Restraint Laws

BASICS OF RESTRAINT SELECTION
The restraint used must be the right type for the size and age of the child:

• Use rear-facing child restraints (CRs) for children until at least 1 year of age AND at least 20 pounds. Most children reach 20 pounds before age 1 and need to be in a rear-facing convertible CR approved for heavier babies. Keep children facing to the rear until well over a year old and as close to 30-35 pounds as possible.
• Use forward-facing CRs with a harness for children over 1 year old. Use the harness until it is outgrown, usually 40 pounds. There are a few models that have harnesses that can be used over 40 pounds.
• Use belt-positioning booster seats that make lap and shoulder belt combinations fit correctly for children who have outgrown their CR with harness until they are large enough for the seat belt to fit correctly.
• Add-on shoulder belt adjusters are not recommended since they are not covered by any Federal standards and may, in fact, do more harm than good.
• Never tuck the shoulder belt under the arm or behind the back. Both of these common practices are dangerous and illegal.
• Use seat belts for older children only when they are large enough for the belt to fit correctly. Usually, this will be about 8-10 years old and about 80 pounds or more. To tell if a child is big enough to use just the vehicle lap and shoulder belt, ask the following questions. If the answer is "no" to any of these questions, a belt-positioning booster seat is needed for the best crash protection:
  • 1) can he sit all the way back against the auto seat,
  • 2) do his knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat,
  • 3) does the shoulder belt cross his shoulder between his neck and arm,
  • 4) is the lap belt positioned low and touching his thighs, and
  • 5) will he stay seated like this for the whole trip?
• Whenever possible, keep children younger than age 13 buckled up in a rear seat of the vehicle.
• Child restraints older than 10 years should not be used. Any child seat, regardless of age, that has been in a severe crash should be replaced.

Additional details and information about restraint selection can be found at Choosing and Using Child Restraints

BASICS OF HARNESSING
The child must be buckled correctly into the restraint according to the manufacturer's instructions:

• The type of harness or shield must be appropriate for the size of the child. Harnesses with shields do not fit small infants well.
• All parts of the harness must be present and in good condition.
• In general, the harness straps should be at or below shoulder level for rear-facing restraints and at or above shoulder level for forward-facing restraints. Refer to the CR manufacturer’s instructions to be sure.
• The harness must be as snug as possible without pressing into the child's skin and causing physical discomfort. You should not be able to pinch the strap to make a fold in the harness webbing.

Additional details and information about harnessing children in safety seats can be found at Choosing and Using Child Restraints

BASICS OF INSTALLATION
The restraint must be correctly installed in the car according to instructions:

• NEVER install a rear-facing restraint in front of an active air bag.
• The rear seat is safer for children than the front seat. Whenever possible, child restraints should be installed in the center-rear seat.
• Infants less than a year in age should ride in a restraint that faces the rear of the car.
• Follow the CR’s instructions for the correct recline angle.
• The vehicle seat belt must be routed correctly through or around the restraint according to the CR’s instructions.
• LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) is a new system that can make CR installation easier and without using seat belts. LATCH is found on most CRs and vehicles manufactured after September 1, 2002.
• The CR must be installed tightly in the vehicle. To check, hold the shell of the CR at the seat belt path (where the seat belt goes through the CR or where it would go through if not using the lower LATCH attachments) and pull toward the front of the car and side-to-side. There should be no more than 1 inch of movement in either direction.
• The seat belt or LATCH attachments must be locked in order to stay tight. Locking clips are needed on some seat belts. Check the vehicle owner's manual to be sure.
• Top tethers can make most front-facing restraints work better. Follow instructions to install and use tether straps whenever possible.

Additional details and information about installing safety seats can be found at Choosing and Using Child Child Restraints