New York, like every state across our country, has specific car seat laws. These laws are put in place in order to protect children who are traveling in vehicles. Children have fragile necks and spinal cords and need extra support and protection in the case of an accident. Just a seatbelt alone is not adequate enough to keep a child safe.
In New York, the laws are very specific:
-Children who are under 4 years old and weigh less than 40lbs must be buckled into a restraint system.
-Children that are 4 years old to 8 years old, or children that are under 4 years old but weigh more than 40lbs, need to be using a booster seat.
-All children that are between 8 years old and 16 years old must wear a seatbelt no matter where they sit in the vehicle.
Violating any of these rules is considered a standard offense. While these rules may seem easy to follow, it can be surprising how many people decide to stop using restraint systems early. Some people skip the booster stage altogether.
While you may be confident that you are using the proper seat for your child, it does not mean that another individual who gives your child a ride is doing so. Someone you trust may intentionally or unintentionally break one of these laws and cause harm to your child. While we can hope that all those who travel with children obey these laws, that is unfortunately not always the case.
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