Everything Traffic Safety
Q: This week we have a couple questions about kids in vintage cars: I have a 1939 Packard, which of course has no seatbelts. I’d like to be able to give my grandkids a ride in the car but without seatbelts I can’t install a carseat. Is it legal to let a child under 12 ride in a car without seatbelts?
Q: Could you please review the rules in regards to children riding in the front seat of vehicles? I know there are recommendations in vehicles, but are there actual age requirements by law? Also, along those same lines, are there legal age/height requirements for booster seats? Thank you!
A: Child passenger restraint laws in Washington used to be fairly complex, with breakdowns for ages and weights and types of car seats. In 2007 the state simplified the law, making three basic requirements for child restraints. 1) All children under the age of 8, or less than 4’9” tall must be restrained in an appropriate child restraint system. That’s a fancy catch-all term for car seat or booster seat. 2) All kids over 8 years old or taller than 4’9” have to wear a seat belt or use a booster seat. 3) Kids under the age of 13 are required to ride in the back seat whenever practical. Continue reading “Kids in Cars – Where to Put Them”