California car seat laws 2023 | Rear and Forward Facing (Complete Guide)
Every year more than 200,000 accidents in California, with a death toll of more than 3000, and sadly in these deaths, there is a high rate of children under 18. The main reason for these accidents is the traffic increase because there are more than 1.7 million automobiles running on California roads.
Moreover, to keep your family safe, you must follow two things. The first one is to follow the California car seat laws and secondly, you have to properly install your child’s seat in the correct position so that your child keeps safe.
Because according to the National highways traffic safety administration’s (NHTSA) most recent research, most parents fail to install car seats correctly. Besides that, when it comes to child car seat laws, they worry about what we should do now. Look, there is nothing to worry about; we are here to help you.
Scroll down to get more information because this article has detailed information about California car seat laws.
Rear-facing car seat law in California:
Look, if you do not want to violate the law of California for rear-facing car seats, your child’s age should be under two years, the weight should be up to 40 pounds, and their height should be less than 40 inches tall. If you do any violation, you will be fined $100.
Note: Note: According to California car seat laws, you should keep your child in the rear-facing until the ages of 2 to 4 years.
Forward-Facing Car Seat Law in California:
Now comes to forward-facing car seat requirements. Whenever the children’s weight and height limitations outgrow the rear-facing car seat, the parent can move their children into a forward-facing car seat without any hassles. For forward-facing car seat requirements, the child’s age should be above two years, weigh 40 pounds, and height 40 inches tall.
Note: if you want to keep safe your child, you should follow the weight and height limit recommended by the manufacturer.
California Booster Seat Law:
By law, you can’t use a booster seat for your child until their weight and height limit exceed their forward-facing car seat. When the child’s weight and height limit exceed a forward-facing car seat, you can move your child to a booster seat.
Booster car seat requirements, in simple words, are: according to laws, all children who have reached up to 57 inches in height and age between 8 to 12 years can ride into booster seats without hesitation.
When Can a Child Sit in The Front Seat in California?
If your child age above eight years and they’re a height of 57 inches tall or up, You can sit it in the front seat of the car without any hesitation, but it is better to avoid sitting your child in the front seat sitting because according to Healthline, under 13 years old children can’t be kept safe if the car is equipped airbag.
For that, you should properly buckle your child in the car’s back seat as far as possible. Because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) also recommend keeping children under age 13 in the back seat.
Leave The Child in The Car Seat:
In 2001, the governor of California, Gray Davis signed into law Senate Bill 255; if anyone leaves under six-year a child inside a car and, unfortunately, they die, according to California laws, they will be responsible for the child’s death.
Besides that, you can look at the California Vehicle Code 15620, which clearly defines that parents can not leave under six years old children in the car without supervision.
Is it Illegal to Smoke in a Car With a Child?
Yes, it’s illegal, under the Public Health (Tobacco) Act 2008, it is illegal to smoke in a car with children under the age of 16 plus. If anyone violates the law, they can face multiple problems.
California Taxi Car Seat Law:
California law applies to taxes, but if you regularly use taxi services, you should buy a car seat for your child to keep them safe and comfortable during travel.
Car Seat Accident Replacement Law In California:
Car seats are a protective innovation for children’s safety. No matter which state or country you live in, if your car is involved in a minor accident, you should not replace your child’s car seat. but unfortunately, if the accident was horrible, then without wasting time, buy a new car seat because the NHTSA has the same recommendations.